The Leopard
by Perdregast
Summary: Max was supposed to let Chloe die, but she couldn't and now she has to face the outcome of her choice. Knowing that a storm is coming, she has to force the game to save both Chloe and the people in Arcadia Bay as her only shot to a future with her friend. Max is sure about one thing, she has to change everything, starting by herself.
1. Chloe is alive

**Chapter 1. Chloe is alive.**

Max emerged in the bathroom.

Shaking off the nausea and the dizziness she crawled to her hiding place. Protected by the stalls she curled and began to cry. All she had to do was do nothing and yet it was a formidable task.

The bathroom door opened and Nathan began his lunatic monologue. He was another victim, neglected by his own father and exploited in the cruelest way by Jefferson, however, Max could not help but hate him. In a few seconds he was going to kill Chloe.

Some deeds just can't be forgiven.

The door opened again.

Max sank further, clinging to the only motives she had for not losing her sanity. She was saving an entire town, hundreds of lives each of them with its own story, joyous or miserable, as real as her own. How many lost loves?, how many parents burying their children? Chloe was fully aware of this, a single decision that fell upon her denied the infinite paths that the lives of the inhabitants of Arcadia Bay could take. The useless punk, the dropout who wished to glass the town that had caused her so much pain was sacrificing herself to save them.

Talk about heroes.

 _I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let's talk bidness._

Chloe was a fake. Her false bravado, her aggressive appearance, her imposed stiffness and the "I don't give a shit about anything" attitude. Everything was a forgery. A persona made up to hide her fear and insecurities. Once a young girl full of life, blessed with loving parents and true friendship, everything was taken from her for no reason. Instead of experiencing the affection of her parents and best friend, she grew up with loss and abandonment. Seemingly she had changed a lot, but for Max, she was still the cheerful and affectionate little girl she knew so well. A girl who secretly hoped that her father would return home someday and her best friend would call her.

Some things are beyond our will although we can still try to fix what lies within our reach.

Max had returned to Chloe's life after so many years of suffering for the two girls and all that was granted to them was a small glimpse into a better future, only be ripped away immediately.

Chloe didn't want to die now that she had reasons to live, so she confessed herself, the problem was mathematics have no intent, they exist only in the realm of pure logic. One in front of hundreds seems like a very simple operation. A single victim, actually two, counting Max who wasn't really going to die, but how to call life the endless void that awaited her.

The worst lies are the ones you tell yourself and Max had had enough of those. She hadn't gotten over Chloe's separation, never made any real new friends, the photography program was not her main reason for attending Blackwell and Chloe wasn't just her best friend.

All lies.

And she certainly didn't want to sacrifice Chloe whatever that implied.

It was Chloe's decision, the redemption moment at the end of the movie, Uber and Donowitz killing Hitler, Leonidas falling under a barrage of arrows. She didn't want to die, but she found herself devoid of options.

 _Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!._

Was it really Chloe's call? What purpose did it serve to hold so much power inside you if you can't protect the one you care the most? Saving an entire town seemed like a good enough reason... not for her.

Imagine this Maxine. In front of you there are two lines. On one side, queuing up, all the inhabitants of Arcadia Bay, on the other just one person, Chloe Price. The same questions every time. Who are you saving, who are you dooming? The same answer every time and the line moves. At the end the seemingly endless line is empty, only one person remains. Is the choice you've already decided more edible this way? Are you less of a killer?.

You don't know and honestly, you don't care.

 _You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs._

"No fucking way".

Acting out of pure instinct, she used the bathroom wall to get momentum and lunged at the maintenance cart, knocking it over and spilling its contents in the floor. The enclosed space boomed with a metallic roar. A storm in a teacup. A bizarrely adequate metaphor.

Amidst the screams and confusion that ensued, Max stood up regaining her balance and peered out of her hiding place. Taking advantage of the distraction, Chloe had already escaped. Nathan was crawling across the floor to reach the gun that had ended up under the sinks, clumsily, as if his body was doing the second task before the first, Nathan retrieved the gun and hid it under his jacket rushing towards the door.

Before he was gone, he turned his head and spotted Max "You will pay for this, bitch".

And with that, Max collapsed.

* * *

 _Chloe is alive._ That was all she could think as she was coming out of the blackout stupor.

A banging on the door startled her.

"There's someone there, what happened?" David Madsen's unmistakable voice thundered inside the bathroom. Nothing that happened in Blackwell seemed to elude his control and yet he had not been able to stop Jefferson without the help of two teenagers.

"Is everything alright inside there?" he insisted "answer at once or I'm coming in".

"I'm OK" Max replied. The roughness of her own voice surprised her until she realized that the last time she had spoken she was in another timeline, soaking wet and screaming to make herself heard over a storm. Apparently, hoarseness was maintained across different timelines.

Another invaluable lesson in time traveling.

"I'm sorry, I tripped over the cart and knocked it over, I'm fine though, I've picked everything up myself".

"Be careful Miss" A discontent grunt was heard from the other side of the door in true Mr. Madsen style before adding "You have no business with the maintenance cart, that's for Samuel, the bathroom is supposed to be for... other functions".

Rules and guidelines... even for bathroom use, that's your regular Mr. Madsen.

Max waited until she was sure that he had walked away to get out of the bathroom. With her gaze fixed on the floor avoiding any kind of human interaction, she headed for the front yard, looked for a tree away from prying eyes and sat down.

The implications of her choice were clear. A storm was going to ravage Arcadia Bay and shockingly she didn't feel overwhelmed by guilt. Instead, Max felt a contained euphoria. Images of a determined future piled up in her mind. Not the debris of what once were homes nor the piles of corpses, drenched and reeking of rotting and decomposition; her hometown's fate or her close friends lives; it didn't even matter that she had miserably broken her promise to Chloe. Nothing was of significant importance to Max.

The only thing that mattered was that Chloe was alive and she couldn't help feeling alive too. Nothing was of greater value than her. Nothing.

 _Chloe is alive._

What kind of monster had she become?.

Her cell phone went off and the message reception alert light blinked. Max shoved the phone out of her pocket and read Warren's message asking for his flash drive back with a smirk. She was fully entering Déjà Vu land.

Something clicked in her head.

In the bathroom she had been too shocked from the time trip and the events after to realize. A small change had happened. She had not triggered the alarm, instead, she had overturned the cart and such an insignificant change meant she hadn't had to face Wells. For sure David had gotten involved, but he had been dodged without much effort and most certainly he didn't even recognize Max as the bathroom occupant. No one knew that Max had been the third person in the bathroom except for Nathan, and he was without a doubt not going to tell anyone, even if only for his own sake. The heat was no longer on Max which gave her ample leeway to manoeuvre.

Her mind was buzzing. Could she change more than that?.

Chloe didn't want to die, not after having Max back in her life. She had laughed and smiled like she hadn't done in years and that was thanks to her. She only wanted to save people, the same people that didn't care if she lived or died. They had both assumed that Arcadia Bay's fate was linked to Chloe's. Was that necessarily true? The equation was designed so that only Chloe or Arcadia Bay could be saved or there were other options?.

Was dying really her destiny?.

They didn't know the answer, but Max knew that Chloe wasn't going to risk it when there was so much at stake. She was going to make the same decision over and over again.

Just like herself.

Chloe was going to sacrifice herself a thousand times if that was what it took.

And that was the exact number of times Max wasn't going to let her die.

It was like that old 80's movie she saw nestled next to her father in Seattle, when she was so depressed that she spent all her leisure time locked up at home.

Stalemate, mutually assured destruction.

 _The only winning move is not to play._

Or change the game so that the rules are entirely rewritten.

Hands shaking, she pulled out her cell phone and called a number she knew very well. The phone rang only once before an overly eager voice answered.

"Max, how are you? it's about the flash drive? if you need more time just let me know, no prob".

"Hey Warren, actually not about the flash drive, I have... um... sort of a technical question".

"You called the right number, anything I can do for you, just name it".

"You see... if I had to create an anonymous account to use on the Internet what would be the best way".

"I would need a little more intel, like what would you use the account for?".

"Let's say I have a piece of information and I want it to reach as many people as possible in the shortest time and to be completely anonymous". Warren's response delayed a bit and she imagined him indulging in all sorts of weird fantasies.

"007 Max, are you a sexy undercover secret agent on a special mission? How exciting, I'm volunteering to be your sidekick".

Indeed, weird fantasies.

Max sighed before answering "Such a special agent I would be, asking her friend how to do her job. None of that, just a school assignment, and please, use simple terms and be concise I'm in a bit of a hurry".

Max swore she could heard Warren disappointment through the phone "I will, I will... I guess the first thing would be to get hold of a public computer, right here in Blackwell we've got a bunch of them, and create a profile on various social networks... "

Warren finished his exposition and although she sometimes struggled to keep up with him, Max had taken the precaution of recording the conversation. True to his word, he was brief.

"... and I think that's it, that will do the trick?".

"Sure, thank you very much I owe you one". Max pulled the phone away from her ear and squeezed it against his collarbone, feeling guilty. "Warren... I´m sorry".

"What for?" Warren replied with concern.

Max raised her right hand and rewound.

She checked her cell phone. The sound file with the conversation that had never existed was there. She felt relieved as she wasn't one hundred percent convinced it would work. Truth is you can never be certain about how time travel works.

She stirred in her bag and pulled out the earbuds, plugging them into her phone and played the file to familiarize herself with Warren's instructions. Once the recorded conversation started, she got up and headed towards the inside of the main building.

* * *

It was almost an hour later, Max was sitting in front of a computer screen with multiple tabs in her web browser. The process of signing up in various networks had been relatively straightforward. Problems started when she had to figure out the message to send. She had considered several options before deciding that it was best to publish the same message on all networks, which necessarily meant that it had to be short because of space limitations. It was at that point when she hit an unexpected wall, discovering the hard way that it is one thing knowing what you want to say and a very different story knowing how to say it.

She wrote, erased and rewrote variations of the same sentences dozens of times while cursing inwardly at her own grammatical limitations. She was just moderately satisfied with how it had turned out, but she assumed she couldn't do any better.

 _This should work, the most important thing is the message itself not the way it's delivered._

There was still an awful lot to do, however posting the message was liberating. One more change, one more step towards Chloe.

Back in the courtyard, everything around her looked familiar. Fly Brooke's drone, talk to Miss Grant about surveillance cameras, ask Justin and Trevor for skate moves...pointless errands that seemed so meaningless now. Just for a second, she was tempted to wander across checking on everyone. Reiterate every small action from the previous week will send her in the same direction, which was by all means what she was trying to avoid. Her resolution in the bathroom dramatically altered the course of action and she had to act accordingly.

Feeling liberated, she headed for the dorms.

Kate was sitting on the bench, head down in misery. Max, using the path next to the Tobanga, approached her and without a word sat by her side. She turned her eyes and marked another notch in Max's growing list of failures. Her gaze was already lifeless. She was considered Kate's best friend in Blackwell, she was the one who should have realized, unfortunately, she was too immersed in her own world of insecurities.

"I know about the video".

Kate averted her eyes, embarrassed. Max hastened to hold her hands "I haven't seen it and I'm not going to see it" she said in a reassuring tone.

"Th..thank you".

Max released her and placed her hand on Kate's face turning her delicately until they were both face to face "you have to be strong". She tried to look away again, but Max kept up the pressure, delicately and firmly "look at me, please, you have to be strong, you have to hold on".

"That's easy to say, you're not the one in that video" Kate answered too abrupt for her gentle manner of speaking.

Kate's words were those of someone who knew she had been defeated. The truth didn't matter, she was apparently a pious and religious girl who had drunk too much at a party and had unleashed her true self. A hypocrite, a Pharisee, a Jezebel in the words of her own aunt, all that was left was to face rejection and that, she could only accept to a certain extent. Part of her own family and church had turned their backs on her. The confrontations with Mr. Madsen and Mr. Jefferson were sealing the deal, two authority figures who were going to blame her for what had happened without attending her explanations. Max had to avoid those encounters at all costs while trying to comfort her.

Rest. This was what Jesus offered according to Matthew's gospel, peace, a shoulder on which to weep.

"That wasn't you, I know your drink was spiked".

"How... how do you know?" Kate stuttered "truth is it doesn't matter anymore everybody has their opinion already formed, I'm just a... nothing is going to change that".

"How I know is not what matters now, there's a lot more going on in Blackwell, I know about that and it has to do with what happened at the party, you were drugged".

"Do you have proof? Kate said as she began to rise "We must go immediately to the police".

Max stopped her "We should wait".

For a brief moment her eyes had shown a glimmer of hope, now the dejection returned. "why? if what you say is true then I have a chance, I...I don't understand why we have to wait".

Max paused. Saving Chloe had been a reflex act and although it was not a decision she regretted or intended to change, she lacked a fully outlined plan. This said, taking care of Kate was out of the question. Keeping a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention seemed a good starting point while she figured out the rest

"You know I'm not a religious person, don't you?".

"I know," Kate answered without understanding the question.

"You know about how this works more than I do... listen, I know this is a lot to ask, even so, I need you to have faith in me".

"Faith in you?" Kate repeated.

"Going to the police is not the solution, at least not right now. I promise you the truth will come out soon, in the meantime, I need you to be safe and strong".

Kate looked away in disappointment "You assure me you have evidence and then you ask me not to do anything about it, can you imagine what it means to me to be marked as a? ... I've been disowned by my church and my family".

"I failed you as a friend, I should have been more attentive to you these days". Kate's swollen eyes revealed that she had been crying for too long and most likely that was the only reason tears weren't flowing. Max thought about Chloe, in a way, she and Kate had gone through similar situations. Being so defeated, thinking that everything and everyone is against you that you are forced the only way out that makes sense. In Chloe's case the anger, the rebellion, the drugs; in Kate's case jumping from a rooftop. "Please" Max insisted "Waiting is for the best, I'll take care of you in the meantime".

"Will you?". Kate answered doubtfully.

"You have my word, I will protect you until all is solved".

"You're the only person who cared about me instead of watching the video and making fun... I guess that means something".

"A lot of people care about you, now you don't see it, but I assure you it's like that".

"How long do we have to wait?" Kate asked.

"Sooner than you think, time is already running out".

"OK. I'll trust you in this one".

"Just hold on a little longer" she said as she hugged Kate. The two girls separated and Max could see some light returning to her friend."Don't tell anyone about this, whenever you need to talk, you call me".

"I will," Kate replied.

"Go back to your room and rest you haven't probably slept in a few days, I'll check on you later".

"I've tried that before". With a slight nod, Kate pointed to the dorms. Sitting on the steps, Victoria in all her Queen Bee glory and her drones were immersed in a passive display of high school power.

"Give me five minutes".

Max stood up and steadily walked toward the three girls. Once she was in front of them, not giving Victoria a chance to recite her offending lines, she made a strange move. Instead of standing in front of the Victoria as it was supposed from everybody who acknowledged Blackwell's hierarchy, she positioned herself at the right end of the group, right next to Taylor, crouching slightly until she was at eyes level.

And that was before she spoke, which proved even stranger to the three girls.

"Taylor, how is your mother doing?


	2. Comfort zone

**Chapter 2.- Comfort zone.**

Three pairs of incredulous eyes stared at Max as she, in a decidedly uncomfortable stance, rested her hand on Taylor's knee. Proclaiming that the two girls had only exchanged five sentences since Max started in Blackwell would have been a safe bet. Typically Victoria was the only one addressing her, while Courtney and Taylor, even if she was present, preferred to talk about her rather than with her. Such an unsuspected development from Max had rendered the trio speechless, most notably the one questioned.

Taylor was nowhere near Victoria's financial muscle. When she arrived at Blackwell she saw in her and the Vortex Club the perfect way to ascend in the social and economic ladder and even though her relationship had ended up being something far unlike from what she would have expected, social pressure had overtaken her. Now she was stuck in a dead end. She understood exactly what was expected from her in all situations, Victoria and the rest of the Club made this evident on every occasion. She was the partying buddy, the walking laugh track for Victoria's acid jokes, the 24/7 assistant shopper, her role was solely defined as an accessory to the protagonist. To do otherwise meant automatic exclusion, the loss of her meager privileges and social oblivion. Too late to redirect her relationship with Victoria and too late to make friends outside the Club, she could do nothing but go ahead and wait for the year to end, looking forward a fresh start away from her current colleagues.

When her mother fell ill, her spirits plummeted. Certain that she would not find comfort in her inner circle, she had tried to keep her mother's illness in the background as a trivial event. But she wasn't a minor issue. The single most important person in her life was having a difficult time while, without a car of her own and with absurd (and expensive) commuting times, she spent her weekends on booze and weed she couldn't afford. Unbeknown to her friends, Taylor was quickly spiraling downwards. Absolutely no one had asked her about her mother, not even the two people she spent most of her time with, and that, despite all the social conditioning, was immensely painful.

Now she was sitting on some steps, blocking the entrance to the dorms simply because they could. They had just humiliated Kate who harmlessly tried to bypass them to reach her room, being particularly cruel to her on account of the video and she was sure they would have been equally cruel to Max for whatever absurd reason that came to their minds. Except Max had done something truly out of character.

The withdrawn girl they never talked to except to insult her, had asked about her mother.

Taylor didn't expect Max to worry about her, she hadn't even imagined that Max knew her mother was sick and yet there she was, crouched beside her, with her stupid sincere smile and her stupid cute freckles, warming her heart when nobody else cared.

Taylor looked down. Max's hand was still on her knee on a friendly grip and she had no way of denying that it mattered so much.

Because no one ever touched Taylor in a friendly way. Being part of Victoria's court entailed some dubious perks, notably one, being everybody kept their distance. Unlike Victoria's case, hers was a different situation. No one dared to approach Victoria, blond pixie cut medusa in designer clothes. By her side, a massive black hole that engulfed all the personalities around her, Taylor simply wasn't significant enough for people to appreciate her as an individual. Sadly enough all the human contact she received was reduced to drunk groping in the Vortex Club VIP area and the occasional (much less common than people thought) unsatisfactory intercourse that might follow.

She was so on edge that all it took for her to crumble was a simple gesture and it had come from the most unsuspected person.

"She's not doing good" she said almost to herself. Slowly she raised her glance towards Max "She's not doing good" she repeated "I don't know what will become of me if this goes the wrong way, it's just the two of us".

Relating to Victoria had taught her to keep up appearances at all times and at this very moment, she was deeply grateful to that social skill. In her presence she had to maintain control unless she told her otherwise (it's time to get hammered/get high, let's trash the dance floor), that forced self-restraint was the only thing that prevented her from throwing herself into Max's arms and beg for comforting lies...and for once, just once since she arrived in Blackwell, feel at home.

"It's just the two of us if anything happens to her... I'm alone".

Taylor didn't fall apart, her role was deeply internalized, she only stood still. An empty carcass with a lost stare.

"You know, I'd go with you this weekend to visit your mother, but maybe it would be a little weird for you." Max glanced subtly at Victoria "besides, forgive me for being intrusive, I've overheard Victoria in the showers this morning, she is worried about your mom and she was talking about skipping class tomorrow and drive you to the hospital".

"Would you do that for me?" Taylor looked at Victoria as if she was witnessing something incredible and truth be told if her friend had come down from the sky riding a cloud and announcing herself as the very goddess of rain that would have surprised her not a fraction of that admission.

For the shortest possible moment surprise was drawn on Victoria's face, so brief that it went unnoticed by everyone except Max. Immediately her face regained her usual existential disgust expression "well, of course, that's what friends are for".

"It's pretty far, a 4-hour drive" said Taylor hesitantly.

"3-hour drive tops with my car" Victoria replied, assuming control of the scenario at once "tomorrow we are getting up painfully early I want to be back for the afternoon periods". Without further ado, she got up and headed towards the dorms. Everybody assumed that the subject was settled and the discussion was over.

But of course Victoria was Victoria, Rome wasn't built in a day and every Tuesday is not election day. Before closing the door behind her, she peered out her head and with a bitter voice delivered some final remarks "And Max... you are a nosy bitch".

To an outside observer, the exchange might have seemed strange, but she knew that when it came down to Victoria it had been an overwhelming victory (pun intended).

Chloe being her absolute priority there were also other particulars Max wanted to protect. Kate was an obvious objective and so was Victoria. She had seen her at her most vulnerable, abused and dismissed by Jefferson. There was nothing left of the Ice Queen there, just a scared young girl begging for her life. She was determined to do her best to protect those she cared for, and maybe, and only maybe, this way the manipulation to which she was subjecting everyone around her would be balanced out in the cosmic books.

* * *

Once inside the dorms, she went straight to Dana's room. While strictly not needing the flash drive to meet Warren she deemed wiser to get rid of trivial matters as soon as possible. Once again another recurrent scene unfolded before her eyes, like a rerun of an old show. _I seriously hate High School Drama_ she thought.

"What's going on here?".

"Dana is locked up in her room until she confesses she's been sexting with my boyfriend".

"I DIDN 'T DO IT!" echoed from inside the room.

 _I need to get this over fast. I don't have the time or the will to deal with this stuff._ "Juliet W-a-t-s-o-n" Max carefully pronounced every letter aware that this would capture her attention "She is denying it, are you sure she did it?".

"Of course she will deny it".

"Do you have evidence?".

"Well, I..."she stuttered.

Max gave her his best reproving look "Are you even listening to yourself? It's Dana, your best friend. I saw her yesterday cuddling with Trevor in the quad and she seemed perfectly happy with him. I don't see her sexting anybody, much less her bestie's boyfriend and yet here you are accusing her with no proof".

"Someone told me, I got angry...didn't think much past that".

Max approached Juliet and whispered in her ear, "We both know you should be comforting your friend now, she's had a hard time and you're not helping if you need to blame someone you've got Zachary".

"How do you know about Dana?" Juliet responded in surprise.

"Just open the damn door and let's get over with this crap".

Dana didn't get a chance to rant, Juliet apologized at once and the two girls hugged emotionally. After sparing them a moment of intimacy, Max made herself noticed and asked for the flash drive.

Still on the threshold, she turned and asked them "I received a very strange message on Facebook, did you receive it too?".

"Everybody has, not only on Facebook, in every network... it's a bit strange" Dana answered.

"What do you make of it?".

"I don't know, it's weird, it says it's snowing today, then something about an eclipse and more weird stuff, it gives me the creeps".

"Can you imagine something like that happening," Max replied in the most neutral tone possible.

"I don't think so" Juliet intervened "it's poorly crafted, it's... confusing it has to be some kind of joke if there was a serious threat they would have been more committed to the message".

"We'll see what happens, I guess if it snows today we should start worrying". Max hurried out of the room trying to hide the blush in her cheeks.

Walking down the hall she passed in front of Kate's room noticing an offensive comment in her slate. She cleaned it up and decided for a direct approach _Not your fault, Nothing to be ashamed of_. At the moment it had no context, but once Jefferson was arrested it would make sense. Every little action that could buy her time was significant since she had only a finite amount of it before the storm arrived.

In her room, she watered Lisa, and shuffled through the closet, cursing herself for not investing more in her wardrobe. She picked her best graphic t-shirt, hoodie and generic jeans checking the mirror for effect.

She looked exactly the same as she did before she swapped clothes.

Cursing between her teeth, she collected her toiletries and headed to the bathroom. She carefully washed her face and applied an unusually generous amount of deodorant; not that she had any need for it, but she was meeting Chloe and a girl can never be cautious enough, so an extra layer of deodorant and a thorough toothbrush.

She went out into the courtyard distracted by the recollection of the previous hours. Knowing beforehand that she wasn't going to be flatly refused gave her leverage, at the same time it turned her guts upside down. Five years dreading rejection amounting too many wasted chances to rekindle her only real friendship. She tried to discard that train of thought focusing on the cozy Autumn environment. Although most people preferred Spring or Summer, a photographic mind like hers recognized that there was no better time than late September-October for photography. The sun was not as strong as the previous months, that, together with the brown and reddish tones of the trees gave a feel to the pictures that could not be obtained in any other time. She indulged herself in the outdoors scenery until she spotted the new graffiti.

There it was in all its splendor, dick and two balls, the whole deal. Classy. Immortalized for posterity or at least until Samuel washes it off whatever comes first An extraterrestrial civilization coming to earth long after humanity has become extinct and discovering it among the rubble, alien scholars providing in deep theories about fertility rites where there's only a bineuronal jock. Gives you ideas about cavemen and ancient Egyptians laughing their asses off about us.

She moved away from the dorm wall only to discover Zachary already taking a couple steps back to throw.

 _Dog I totally forgot_.

Max started running. Alyssa heard movement at her back and turned around to witness an impossible sequence. A football was heading towards her, Max entered her field of vision, throwing herself in the air, stretching her whole body in an impossible foreshortening and catching the football before it impacted her **(1)**. Max stood up from the ground, shaking the dust and still holding the football with the other hand "Are you all right Alyssa?".

"Yeah, I 'm OK" She replied in shock.

"You know, back in Seattle, I was in my High school´s football team" Max was fully aware that she had no way of explaining what had just happened, so she went with the first thing that came to her mind.

"You...You played football?" Alyssa was even more confused now than before.

Max stared at her and unconsciously grabbed her arm with the opposite hand as she used to do whenever she was lost at words. "That's a conversation for another day... I've got to run now, we'll catch up later".

Alyssa watched as the one-hundred-pound girl trotted away across the courtyard towards Zachary with no real understanding of what just happened. Apparently, the Jock had thrown the football deliberately to hit her and Max had prevented it with a perfect reception. **(2)** Alyssa sighed, turned and plunged again into the impossible romance happening in her book, oblivious to her surroundings.

"Your football Zachary..." Max said as he threw the ball at his feet forcing him to bend down to pick it up "...and you are an asshole".

Zachary stood up threateningly. Max didn't flinch, on the contrary, she stood her ground and gave him a dismissive look as she replied "if you harass Alyssa or any of my friends again I will have a serious conversation with Juliet and sexting will be the only sexual activity you will have this year".

Zach tried to respond, but the gears in his brain weren't particularly fast and Max beat him to it "just ignore us. We already ignore you, we don't need you in the slightest".

Max left behind a humiliated Zachary and walked towards the front yard, as she traversed the path connecting the two quads she gladly confirmed that Kate was nowhere to be seen.

"Good afternoon Mr. Madsen" she said as she walked by the security guard.

"Good afternoon Miss" he groaned.

The trail of posters on the floor raised some concerns in Max. What did Chloe do from the time she escaped the bathroom until she met her in the parking lot? With the tweaks introduced in this new timeline, Max was playing by ear and there were serious odds that Chloe wouldn't show up. A poorly parked van occupying two handicapped spaces was the confirmation she needed, Chloe had not abandoned the premises yet.

Max consciously relaxed her pace. A little further on she could see Warren waiting for her, sitting in his new wheels with an anxious puppy look. Warren was a trusty friend, he had proved it several times, but he also had a romantic interest in her that was never going to be reciprocated. Setting some ground rules from the very first minute was probably on their best interest.

"Hey Warren, here's your flash drive". Max extended her arm, the flash drive already in display thus artfully dodging Warren's sorry attempt to hug her.

"Thank you Max". He replied, trying to disguise his intentions.

"Is that your new car? cool, very old school".

"Oh yes, 1978 classic". Warren nervously scratched his head before launching his assault "I was thinking... there's a drive-in in Newberg, it´s just 60 miles from here, now that I have a cool ride we could go".

 _And... there we go_

"Actually I wanted to talk about that" Max lay in the car next to Warren keeping her distance. "I couldn't help noticing that there's a folder with my name on the flash drive".

"Those were the movies I included for you" he defended himself immediately.

"I've also noticed some other stuff Warren, I know you like me".

"Oh...I...just...I guess there's no use denying it." Warren scratched his head again, already abusing such an annoying habit.

"I'm sorry" Max tried not to sound condescending.

"You mean you don't like me?".

"As a friend, yes, I do; more than that... I'm sorry, not gonna happen".

"I guess now it would be super cool to say it's okay and we're still friends, and I actually want to be friends with you, but it hurts".

"I can imagine... look, I don't mean for an easy way out, this is not about you, you're a good guy, reasonably attractive and we might make a good couple, but as it happens I'm into someone else".

"Is there still a chance for hope?".

"Not really, honestly...no, in fact, I have to ask you to keep this between us".

"What do you mean?".

"Nobody knows anything about this other...um...person I like, literally nobody besides you and me, and I'd like to keep it that way".

"He doesn't know? There's a lucky guy out there who doesn't even know that Max Caulfield is crazy about him".

Max rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as her only reply.

"Yeah, sure, no problem, this is what friends do, no?" Warren said mockingly.

"You were going to hug me when I got there?"

"I..." Warren scratched his head again making it three in a few minutes span "it was just a friendly hug".

"Warren" Max said patronizingly.

"OK OK, it's true".

"Come on, we can handle this as the adults we are supposed to be, give me a friendly hug" replied Max mimicking the same mocking tone. Warren leaned in hug Max, as they parted and despite their conversation, Max suspected that he wasn't going to give up without a chivalrous fight.

"Max Caulfield, right?" Nathan made his entry in the same exact way as last week, standing between the two of them and completely ignoring Warren.

"Says who?" Max gave him an openly defiant look and for a second she could see the doubt reflected in his gaze.

"You don't know who I am? you' would do much better if you did, I can turn your life here into a living hell".

"Oh... but I do know who you are... you're Nathan Prescott a pile of shit so stinky that not even a massive amount of money can disguise your stink".

Nathan grabbed Max by the arm and shook her violently, "I'm going to teach you to respect me, what were you doing in the bathroom, what did you saw?". Using her free hand, Max rabidly scratched his face. "You bitch, I´m gonna kill you" Nathan released her while he covered his face with obvious signs of pain.

"What I saw was a daddy's boy threatening a girl, as you are doing right now. I don't know what was going on there, but you're a fucking pussy".

Enraged, Nathan checked his hands and found them stained with his own blood "you are so dead" he said and immediately pushed Max violently.

On the ground, Max heard the sound of sudden braking behind her back and her heart missed a beat. Time seemed to stop although Max, who was quite seasoned in time-related stuff, could attest that it wasn't the case. Slowly she turned, pausing before sticking her head out the front of Chloe's truck.

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul.

Or something like that.

"Max?".

"Chloe?".

"Oh no, you again?".

Max turned to Nathan and flipped him "Fuck you Nathan".

Warren who had assisted to the whole exchange astonished by Max's boldness snapped out of it and threw himself at Nathan, dragging him to the ground with him.

"Get in the car".

 **Author Notes**  
 **(1)** We are talking about Max here, the less sporty person on earth. Actually, this scene happened not in the majestic way than you are imagining. In any case, it prevented Alyssa from being hit.

 **(2)** Please refer to note 1. Probably rather less spectacular than the picture Alyssa has in mind. We must keep a fairly liberal approach to the _perfect_ term she uses. Perhaps Alyssa idealizes Max's actions. Are those the first symptoms of AnderCaul? CaulAnder? My God, it doesn't even sound right.


	3. Awkward

**Chapter 3.- Awkward.**

The movie-like getaway from Blackwell had left no room for any exchange between the two girls. After settling into the truck and catching her breath, Max had fixed her eyes on Chloe and had never taken them away. Her attitude was radically opposed to the discomfort and shyness she showed in the first ride and solely with that move she had modified the dynamics of their first meeting.

The truck had merged on the small's town lazy traffic and was smoothly rolling through the autumn scenery. Chloe furtively glanced at the girl sitting next to her, slightly intimidated by her boldness. Max was fully conscious that this tense calm couldn't last long.

"Please Chloe, can you pull over for a second?".

"Sure Max, let me find a safe place" she replied without taking her eyes off the road "whatever you want, it's not like you've been, I don't know, five years without a call " she added in her most acid tone. And God was it acid, Alien's blood mere buttercream in comparison.

Without a response to further inflame her mood, her next words gave away the anguish hidden beneath her belligerence "Not a call, not even a fucking text, Max".

Chloe drove quietly for a couple more minutes in which Max didn't speak. When she found a convenient place to stop, she properly signaled (to Max's secret delight) put the car in neutral and killed the engine.

Max took the lead at once "There is so much stuff we need to talk about, but first I'm gonna do something very awkward and I need you not to freak out". Not giving Chloe any opening to answer, Max swiftly removed her seat belt and hugged her tightly.

And true to her word it was awkward.

Max buried her face in Chloe, lightly rubbing against the crook of her neck noticing how she stiffened the moment she felt the contact.

Meeting her lost friend again. Chloe had planned that scenario countless times, playing in her mind the same conversation over and over. She found a morbid pleasure in exploring new ways of verbally ripping her friend for destroying her life. She had to learn in the cruelest way how much her silence had hurt her, she had to pay for it. She treasured that unhealthy desire for years, talk to Max again, unleash all her fury against her.

Max squeezed even tighter and thought _I'm home_

And Chloe thought _what the fuck is happening. I craved to slit her throat open, this is not what I expected and certainly not how I have pictured my first encounter with her... but it feels so good and she is so warm._

So Chloe, against all her own reasoning and probably against her will, relaxed in Max's embrace.

The way Max snuggled up on her, how her arms surrounded Chloe 's waist with fury, almost afraid to let her go. This was no friendly hug, granted they could not be considered strictly friends anymore. There was something deliberately intimate about what Max did and that confused Chloe at levels that had remained sealed off to anyone else in her life.

Even more strange was when Max finally let her go. Instead of sitting down again, she cupped Chloe 's face and kissed her cheek. Just like the hug, there was something about that chaste kiss totally out of place, the way her lips lingered a little too much on Chloe's skin and the fact that Max had leaned her forehead against the side of her face once she cut the kiss.

"Seeing you again, I...I ... don't have words to describe how it feels".

Max returned to her seat, drying her glassy eyes on her sleeve and taking one of Chloe's unresponsive hands between her own. Last week had been vaporized and with it, the unbreakable bond established between them. She was back on square one, once more the girl who had abandoned her five years ago without a word.

She needed to regain Chloe's trust straightaway.

"I've never stopped thinking about you, not a single day in all these years". She shot. Because that's what it was, a shot aimed directly at Chloe's hidden insecurities.

Chloe, absolutely overwhelmed, stared at her friend. And it was at that precise moment in her life when she decided to accept a truth she had been denying herself for years.

She was physically unable to hate Max.

Even though she tried with all her might, even though she was the one who had caused her the biggest pain.

She did not hate her.

She simply couldn't.

One more thing that didn't happen the way she intended. Not a big deal, she was used to things never working out for her.

"I...I.. just don 't understand". She stuttered.

Max squeezed her hand affectionately "you know we didn't part on the best terms, that discussion was heartbreaking".

Chloe nodded.

"I didn't want to leave, I made it clear to you, I had fought and fought with my parents but I hadn't managed anything. My parents had sold the house and already had a starting date for their new jobs in Seattle. I was very immature at the time, but even I understood that it wasn't a decision that could be reversed".

Chloe nodded again, this time a little more uncomfortable.

"You told me to fight harder and begged me not to leave... you pushed me and somehow you seemed to blame me for leaving at the worst time".

"I never said it was your fault" Chloe said perhaps more defensively than the situation deserved.

"No, not straight away, but that's how I felt, as if I wasn't doing enough, as if I was failing you, and on the last day we argued... I wanted to say goodbye to my best friend..my only friend, I wanted you to know how much I cared about you. Instead, you were bitter and told me to leave".

"It wasn't my intention, I... you were moving, you have to understand my father.. then you" Max's direct gesture had managed to placate her at the expense of letting her confused. "But that doesn't explain a thing. All you had to do was text, even if only to tell me I fucked up".

"I don't think you ever fully considered how important you were to me. I grew up with you, Where I didn't reach there you were to help me... I was facing a tremendous change, without my only support in everything, we argued and you were mad at me". Max wiped her freshly shed tears before speaking again "I was alone, without you. When I got to Seattle I wasn't in a good place then I went into a loop of guilt and fear and it became worse... let's just say those weren't easy times".

"I... I'm sorry, I didn't know anything about that... I couldn't imagine".

"No" Max made a dismissive hand gesture. "This is not about what happened in Seattle, it's about us, depressed or not I never reached out. I was the one who promised to call you, the one who said nothing would change between us, as you said just a text or a phone call would have made it and I failed at something so obvious".

"Then why didn't you call?" Chloe was visibly affected, struggling to hold back her own tears, ever the proud badass punk.

"All this time, all these years... I have never stopped thinking about you, blaming myself, wondering about your life and most of all... if we were still friends".

"But why? " Chloe replied in great distress.

"I was scared and stranded in Seattle. You might imagine I was starstruck by the big city lights, instead, I was this forsaken shy girl who shut herself from the outer world. Once I recovered, it was late, time had passed without any justification on my part and no excuse would have been enough. I assumed you'd hate me...If I could have walked to your door, told you I was sorry, that I'd missed you so much...maybe you would have yelled at me and called me all sorts of names, but I'm sure you would have forgiven me and immediately you would have been more concerned about my well-being.. you always took care of me". Max felt a sudden interest in an indeterminate point far away on the horizon line and subjected it to careful scrutiny, or, well, maybe she was just too embarrassed. "Then there's this other thing... if I didn't call you, if you didn't tell me outright that you hated me... I could always keep that little thread of hope as if someday we could still be friends".

As soon as it came, the interest in whatever was going on in that spot that seemed so interesting to Max disappeared and she looked back at her friend, albeit a little shabby "Lame, I know".

Chloe swirled uncomfortably in her seat. Releasing her hand, she rearranged the mirror and every other accessory subject to adjustment in the cabin several times only to leave them exactly the same way they were at the very beginning. It was obvious that she was trying to control herself, looking for a way to release the surplus of energy emanating from her body while she kept her composure.

Apparently satisfied with the "new" arrangement, she went back to the conversation.

"What are you doing here?".

"You... I mean, there's nothing more important to me than trying to rebuild our relationship".

"Just like that?" answered Chloe shrugging in disbelief. In an attempt to protect herself, her mind had decided some time ago to function in binary. Black or white, good or bad, and unfortunately the latter group encompassed everything that was going on around her. Max was without a doubt, part of that class, virtually the honor member and Chloe was currently experiencing serious difficulties in processing the new information.

"There's a good photography program at Blackwell. It seems I'm good enough to qualify for a full scholarship, but that's not the main reason to return here, there were better programs even in Seattle".

Overwhelmed and unable to answer, Chloe rested her arms on the steering wheel and buried her head within them.

Max held back a little before speaking again "There is another world, a world in which I never returned to Arcadia Bay... I'm old, I've had a husband or maybe a wife, family, children, grandchildren. My memories of you fade away, many years have passed and you are just a faint recollection... it shatters my heart to realize that I no longer remember how your voice sounded... I don't want to live in that world".

Unable to contain herself Chloe began to weep, her head still resting on the wheel.

"I didn't even know if you still lived in Arcadia Bay, I just knew Joyce was still here, I had to start somewhere... Oh, dog... I spent a month trying to find the balls to reach you... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry".

Hesitantly Max leaned towards Chloe and stroked her nape, she didn't get rigid like before and that comforted Max. She was going to embrace any victory no matter how inconsequential.

"I need to smoke... I don't normally ask this, but I don't want to spoil this meeting, do you mind if I light a cigarette? I'll leave the windows open". Chloe said as she stood up.

If she had to be honest with herself, Chloe would have to confess that she didn't _normally_ ask because _normally_ no one had ride in her truck car since... well... since Rachel. It's not like she would have really bothered to ask in the hypothetical case that someone had been there, still, that was another sad truth about herself that didn't call for full disclosure, not yet at least.

"Of course not, it's your ride anyway".

Chloe leaned over Max and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the glove compartment with trembling hands, she lit one and reclined in her seat. With each puff, she seemed to relax and Max waited patiently. Like a poor man's philosopher's stone, cigarettes had a decisive calming effect on Chloe, magically imbued with the ability to transmute stress into ephemeral smoke spirals.

"My camera's broken." Chloe was still spaced out, puffing on her cigarette. Max had performed her small act, rummaging in her bag and checking her camera, faking surprise and disappointment. All that effort had elicited absolutely zero feedback from her friend so she decided to force her case.

Nothing, Chloe was still staring blankly.

"My camera's busted" Max insisted, raising her voice.

That hardly attracted much attention from Chloe who momentarily came out of her trance and mumbled a simple "I'm sorry" between her teeth to refocus on whatever was claiming her interest.

 _Oh, Dog, I haven't figured out Chloe's reactions properly._

"So... Um... it's not... um... totally broken, I think I could repair it but I need... by any chance you won't have tools at home, like precision tools".

At last Chloe reacted visibly. She gave a last puff to the cigarette and threw it out the window in a stylish gesture (without extinguishing it before) "Yes... I mean, no, I don't, but my step-douche has a wide assortment of tools in the garage, do you wanna come home?".

"Step-douche? Oh, I didn't know Joyce remarried?" Max pretended as gracefully as she could.

"Yes...about that" Chloe visibly shrugged "I'd rather not talk about it now".

"Oh...I see" Max frowned trying to remember "then I guess if he has all kind of precision tools, he's probably a tiny tool himself".

For the very first time, a smile appeared on her friend's face. "Holy shit, you always seem to know what to say".

Without any more words, Chloe started the engine and the smile did not fade from her face.


	4. From this day on

**Chapter 4.- From this day on.**

"You can pick up the tools from the garage, step-prick keeps them in there, I 'll wait here, put on some music while I medicate".

The ride home had been pleasantly quiet, Chloe casually humming to whatever music the radio played. Addressing directly to the core of her concerns, Max had transformed their first encounter into a bonding keystone, an emotional moment rather than a one-sided reproaching argument, and from there Max wanted to gradually grow closer to her. It wasn't by any means an unchallenging enterprise, five years of silence and changes were a great deal and no matter how much Chloe avoided the subject, the pain was still there. But if one thing she had learned during the previous week was that whatever happened between them, they were still Max and Chloe...that, and also the real significance that Chloe held for her.

Max internally debated her next move. In order to take down Jefferson as soon as possible, Mr. Madsen was a highly valuable asset and in his particular case, avoiding direct confrontation seemed the best approach. Max glanced at Chloe, lying on the bed, lighter already in her hands and a freshly rolled joint on her lips.

As long as she was around, no one was going to yell at her.

"That can wait" Max replied resolutely "You got a sharpie anywhere here?".

"Yes, of course" Chloe raised from the bed without objection, apparently concurring with her friend that the light bliss that weed provided her could wait. She only had to scavenge in five different drawers (spreading some of its contents on the floor in the process) before she raised the aforementioned sharpie triumphantly in the air. "Found you!" she said smugly as she handed the sharpie to Max, oblivious to the fact that she had just effortlessly pulled off an improbable mash-up between Archimedes and Excalibur.

"Here, help me" Max grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her to the back wall, stopping in front of the height chart. She inspected it carefully, running her fingers along the heavily scratched wall as if it were the first time she had seen it.

"A shitload happened since you left" Chloe said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I see" Max turned and stroked her friend's cheek before she focused her attention on the last mark with her name "I should have never let this mark be the last one".

"Don't guilt trip yourself too much, that's my job".

"You have every reason to do it, but trust me, you'll always be second best, I've had plenty of time to repent".

"You are here now, that's what really matters".

"Sure, we're together again and I'm not going anywhere".

Chloe froze again. She was not used to anyone speaking to her in such openly affectionate terms, or come to think, in affectionate terms in general and she was experiencing obvious issues digesting it.

"Listen, we can do nothing about this" said Max signaling the area starting from the last visible mark to somewhere approximate her own height "now... wait... that's it, help me" Max handed the sharpie to her friend as she leaned her back against the wall "place the mark, we'll add the date and from this day on...".

Max suspected something had gone wrong when Chloe returned the sharpie barely drowning a chuckle.

She turned curiously towards the wall to check what was going on. "Oh crap" she said without hiding her disappointment, she had miscalculated her (low) height. The mark Chloe did signaling her height didn't stand out above the scribbles, it was lost in the middle of the mess that was the chart, indiscernible from the rest of scratches.

"Hold on a sec" Chloe said clearly enjoying every bit of the scenario. She rummaged through more drawers (only a couple this time and once again dropping some stuff on the floor) until she came up with what she was looking for "here it is" she added victoriously as she exhibited a roll of clear masking tape. "I still have plenty of those, I used them back when I was in a graffiti spree.. wait... OK, this one is wide enough, it will do".

Chloe cut a strip of tape approximately the width of the chart and pasted it on the wall, superimposing the tape to Max's mark "come on, we'll do it right this time". Max leaned against the wall again and Chloe signaled her height on the tape.

 _Max 10-7-2013_

"This is embarrassing" mumbled a mortified Max.

Chloe stared at her, grin on her face, and suddenly burst out laughing "that was epic" she said almost drowning in her own laughter "funniest stuff in a long time... you should have seen your face" she went on, trying not to suffocate.

Max stoically endured the situation. When she calmed down Chloe realized that her friend was staring at her with an enigmatic expression.

"What's wrong, you're not mad at me?" she tentatively asked.

"Not that, I'm definitely not mad at you".

"So?" asked Chloe in the coolest possible way, trying to push away her uneasiness.

"Your laughter, it's been a long time since I've heard you laugh so much... it's so sweet to hear it again".

Chloe immediately looked away from her friend, trying to conceal the severe blush blooming in her face (1). The embarrassment lasted until the entrance door could be heard and a voice thundered from the ground floor "CHLOE ARE YOU HOME?".

Her face immediately turned to a disgusting grimace before she answered back "I'M UPSTAIRS, IN MY ROOM".

Mr. Madsen stomped his way up the stairs "one of my guns is missing from its closet, you know something about that?" he yelled even before violently opening the door to Chloe's room.

 _Jesus Mr. Madsen, no music, no weed and you still find a reason to shout at Chloe._

"What are you doing here, you know I don't like having strangers at home" he said after a short glance at Max.

"Relax man, I don't know anything about your gun, and I'm just here hanging out with a friend".

"You don't have friends" he said in a gratuitous wounding manner.

 _Enough_

Max stepped in between them, extending an arm in front of Chloe keeping her at bay "maybe that's because nobody's good enough for her...except for me, of course".

Taking advantage of the slight hesitation of Mr. Madsen who by no means expected such an answer, Max came forward and extended her hand "I don't believe we've been formally introduced, maybe my face looks familiar to you from Blackwell because I study there, I'm Max Caulfield... Max as in Chloe's Max".

"Excuse me? Chloe's Max?" was the only coherent thing a confused Mr. Madsen managed to say.

"I don't mean to overestimate my relevance, but if you've been married to Joyce for some time and living in this house I suppose you've heard of me at some point,...maybe not always on good terms, anyway, I was born in Arcadia Bay and until I moved to Seattle five years ago, Chloe and I were inseparable, I've slept in this room nearly more than in my own bed".

"That story rings a bell, I've heard about you" Mr. Madsen conceded.

"I've returned to Arcadia Bay to study and my intention is to try to make up for lost time with Chloe... I really never wanted things to end badly between us" Max shrugged a bit when she added the latter.

"Well, I'm glad" an overwhelmed David replied before regaining composure and reacting the way that was most natural in him, attacking "but you better watch out I don't want anyone dragging down Chloe, she's trouble enough on her own".

 _Neither of them is aware that, though in a totally wrong way, David does care about Chloe._

"Don't worry Mr. Madsen, I'll be a good - good influence on Chloe, I promise".

"A good-good influence?" Mr. Madsen babbled.

"Oh, it's a long story, one for another occasion" Max answered minimizing the comment. "In fact...can I use your phone, there's someone I want to call and I don't have her contact" Max spoke this time addressing her friend directly.

Chloe handed her the phone surprised, she didn't quite understand what she was trying to do but she wasn't going to object to Max in front of her stepfather. Max fiddled with it frowning, after a few seconds she pressed the call button and as she placed the cell next to her ear she addressed Chloe again trying her best not to make it sound like a rebuke "you should have your mother in the M, not in the J".

The phone rang a couple of times before Joyce answered.

"What is it this time?".

"Joyce, actually it´s Max".

"..."

"Um...Max Caulfield".

"I can't think of another Max who would be calling from my daughter's phone, not expecting your call after all this time".

"Yeah, I know, about that...".

"There's no need for explanations don't misunderstand me, it just surprised me, a welcome surprise I have to say".

"Thank you, Joyce, it's so cool to talk to you again".

"So, little Max, how was life in the big city, exciting? full of adventures?".

"I'm afraid not as nicely as you might imagine, I became a wallflower, I... I should have never let things with Chloe turn out that way".

"It's okay honey, you moved on, that's good, Chloe, she chose not to and she's had a hard time about it".

"That's the thing, I didn't really move on, I didn't forget Chloe or you all this time, I've missed you so much".

"Oh, come on, don't make this old lady get emotional".

"You're not an old lady and by the way, belated congratulations on your marriage".

"Thank you... look, Max, no matter how excited I am talking to you we are packed and I have to go back to work, you have to promise me you 'll come by, I'll feed you and we'll catch up, just like old times".

"Sure, I promise... before I go, I'm in Chloe's room right now with her and Mr. Madsen and...um...maybe it's too straightforward but I would like the four of us to have breakfast together, in here, like you said, old times and everything I missed this too much".

"Wow, I didn't expect that Max, you're a whole box of surprises...well, I don't see any problem in having a friendly breakfast at home".

"So I guess, not tomorrow in such short notice, but Wednesday before classes and work would be OK?".

"Is David there?".

"Yes, he 's standing in front of me".

"Can you get him on the phone?".

"Here" said Max offering the phone to Mr. Madsen "Joyce wants to talk to you".

"What are you doing? you don't want to have breakfast with us, meals are a battlefield, you don't know him" Chloe protested in low voice pointing her head at her stepfather "besides he has nothing to do with old times".

"Come on, do it for me, I promise I'll make it right, I've missed your mother and her food a lot".

"Fine, but I assure you we'll regret this, things are not as you remember them and my mother always takes his side".

"I'm pretty sure that Joyce cares a lot more about you than you think".

"You don't have a fucking clue but, whatever".

Mr. Madsen returned the phone to Chloe ending the whispering between the two girls "Wednesday, early breakfast here ... now I'm going to work in the garage, see you later". He turned and unceremoniously left the room.

"He never knew what hit him" Chloe triumphantly cheered when he left the room "I don't know where the breakfast idea comes from and I insist it's a bad idea, but you handled step-prick like a champ, I've never seen him so disconcerted".

"Not a big deal".

"Chloe's Max, excuse me? good-good influence?" Chloe mocked Mr. Madsen's voice adding gorilla's gestures to the performance "that was epic, Max, pure gold". Chloe's giggling was contagious and so, Max indulged in her antics until suddenly Chloe remembered they had actually come here for one reason.

"Your camera!".

"Uh?".

"Your camera, we haven't even fetched the tools, do you want me to pick them up? I'm not particularly interested in meeting Sgt Pepper again, but maybe it's better if I go".

"Don't worry, I think my camera is FUBAR, I'll have to buy another one."

"I'm sorry".

"it 's OK, shit happens".

Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, slightly disappointed. It was just a camera, but somehow it downed the mood. "Was it an expensive camera?".

"Not so expensive, supplies are in fact more expensive than the camera itself, it was an old Polaroid, is the one I always use". Max shrugged.

"A Polaroid?" Chloe replied in amazement, "Like the one ...?".

"Yeah" Max finished the sentence "Like the one your father had, he taught me with a Polaroid ... I guess it makes sense that I shoot with one of those".

Chloe jumped off the bed and started rummaging in the shelf by the computer "over here, I know it was over here...yeah, score". Excited, she blew the accumulated dust before inspecting it against the light. Apparently unsatisfied with the result, she thoroughly wiped the camera with her own shirt, further spreading the dust caught after so many years and leaving her shirt scruffy and filthy in the process. Chloe turned to Max extending her hands in front of her, offering the camera in an unmistakable gesture.

"Here".

"I can't accept it." Despite being able to foresee it, Max was still overwhelmed by the offer. It seemed that Chloe was going to gift her the camera no matter what.

"You said it yourself shooting with a Polaroid makes sense, so I guess using this Polaroid makes _even more sense_ ".

"And yet it's a lot, it was your father's."

A shadow of pain crossed Chloe's face for a brief moment, so many years later it was still a sore topic "he would have wanted you to have it...you know...if he was still here I would have called him and he'd all fired up about you being back".

Max took the camera with the utmost care, almost reverentially "I guess it does make sense, being here makes sense".

"Don't get all mushy in me, you are ruining my street cred" Suddenly as if she had put on a mask, the nonchalant Chloe appeared again "I suppose even though you are totally mesmerized by my amazing looks and personality you'll have stuff to do in Blackhell, grades to improve, preppy companions to see, shit like that".

"You're absolutely right, I'm utterly charmed by your presence, unfortunately, I have a ton of homework to do and there are a couple of people I want to see in school".

"I'll drive you back then" Chloe sentenced.

"Not yet" Max replied with a smile on her face. "Homework and other people can wait, I rather spend more time with you".

Since Max knew her (that is, practically since she was born) Chloe had always been a very expressive person, it was significantly easy to guess her mood just by taking a look at her face, and with the years that hadn't changed a bit. At that precise moment, standing in front of her gleaming as a child on Christmas morning, Max knew she was doing right.

"Come on Chloe, take a girl for a ride".

 **Author notes**  
 **(1)** Because the comment was highly unexpected, Chloe's blush scored a solid 7.5 on the Richter-blushter scale (OK I made that up) 1 being caught red-handed picking your nose at a traffic light and 10 being involuntary farting in front of your prom's date parents.


	5. An everyday hero

**Chapter 5.- An everyday hero**

To both girls mutual alleviation, Frank's RV was nowhere to be seen, a feeling they chose not to share with each other for radically opposed reasons.

Before leaving Chloe's home, Max had suggested heading to the beach. That was not a place that held a special significance in their past and it felt like a strange call to make. Chloe would have rather visited the lighthouse or any of other the places she associated with their shared childhood, someplace more in tune with the mood of their reunion, either way, she decided to indulge her friend.

As they got out of the car, Max took Chloe's hand and ran towards the sand. The two friends sat in front of the sea watching the sunset.

"This is what photographers call the golden hour" Max said without taking her gaze away from the setting sun.

" _This is what we call the golden hour_ " Chloe corrected her "you're already a photographer".

"I wish I was, I feel more like a child playing adult".

"You honestly don't look like a child to me, you've changed a hella lot from the shy nerdy Max I remember".

"That's because I'm being forced out of my comfort zone, truth is I haven't changed a bit".

"What do you mean?" Chloe replied.

"We'll have plenty of time to catch up later...right now I just want to relax with you, I've missed this so much".

"Sure" Chloe answered "I missed it too Caulfied" she added this time inaudibly.

Chloe was staring at Max. An adult version of her little friend. Same mousy hair, same constellation of freckles gracing her face and same belly ache realizing that her friend was still as cute as she was. No, scratch that, she was way cuter.

Painfully cuter.

Max fucking Caulfield, with her face slightly inclined upwards and her eyes closed welcoming the last rays of the Autumn sun, utterly amazing without even trying. For so long more a shapeless idea than a flesh-and-bone person. Five years Chloe spent forcing herself to hate her and in just a couple of hours she was dragging her by the hand.

Like nothing had happened between them, like she still lived in Arcadia Bay and being together was as natural as breathing.

"This is so nice" Max said, pulling her friend out of her daydream.

"Yeah...feels like a fucking dream".

Max turned suddenly and caught Chloe staring at her.

"You know that we need to talk".

"No we don't, you've already explained yourself, you've apologized, forgiveness granted, end of story. We don't need to go back over that".

"Chloe, no" Max answered in a scuffling tone.

"Now you're here, as I said, apologies accepted, let byfucks be byfucks and all that".

"We can 't disregard these five years as if they hadn't existed, this.. is something that will always follow us, we have to work it out together, we need to be honest" Max insisted.

"I...I don't want to...now you're here and...fuck...everything you've told me, is that...oh shit..., I don't want to spend time thinking about the past, that's not a place I want to be, it's not a happy place, I'd rather be on this beach with you...this is calm, nice...".

Max dragged herself across the sand approaching Chloe until she was glued to her and rested her head on her friend's shoulder "I'm not going anywhere I've come back for you".

"I hella need a smoke" Chloe said without taking Max off her back.

The smoke was almost consumed and she was still silent. Apparently, the unit of time required to measure the breathing space Chloe needed was sold in packs of 20.

"Why didn't you call me?" Max asked.

"Uh?".

"I've already explained why I didn't call you. I was the one who promised to keep in touch, but nothing kept you from calling me when I failed miserably".

"You promised you'd keep in touch, that nothing would change between us" Chloe fought back.

"I know," said Max ashamed "still...".

Chloe stared sadly at Max "You lied to me, you moved to the big city and you never called me...first days I thought you had your hands full with the moving, but that excuse only held up for so long...then I just assumed the obvious".

"It wasn't like that, I couldn't even leave the house the first few weeks, all I did was bawl my eyes out".

"How could I know? I pictured you making new friends, going to the fancy places we dreamed of going together... moving on. I was your friend back in the fucking armpit of a town you used to live, the one with the dead daddy and all the drama, you were destined for better stuff".

"I fucked up, but you were no better, you came to the worst conclusion. You honestly never thought there could be another reason? You knew I didn't want to move, and most of all I didn't want to leave you".

"What if I called you?" Chloe asked, fearing the answer.

Max looked away from her friend before answering, "you know the answer.. there's never been _better stuff_ in my life than being your friend".

"You can't tell me that, you can't... all this time... I could have..." she replied anguished, "don't tell me that..." she continued before covering her face trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

"No no no, this isn't... Chloe, it's not about that" Max said as she hugged her "It's... you need to understand that what I did had nothing to do with me not caring". Max released Chloe and cleared her throat "so I guess pride, and also, like I was living the high life and was too cool to spend time with my friend from Hickville. Correct me if I'm wrong...you were afraid that I would turn you down".

Chloe just nodded slightly.

"I can relate to that because that's why I didn't contact you...listen I'm not looking for an excuse, what I did was terrible, I knew what you were dealing with and ...It's totally on me, anyway, what's important is that you understand my reasons, as stupid as they were, and we start working from there... you see, the whole _let's not dwell in the past_ thing might not work in the long term and I'm not risking us, not again".

"I dunno" Chloe sighed "I'm not used to this talking about shit stuff...I guess we can give it a try".

"It's not like we have to do anything specific, we just don't have to be afraid to talk about what happened" Max clarified "At least I think so, I don't have any experience in this, either".

An approval gesture and both girls concluded that it was better to leave the conversation there and focus on enjoying the sunset.

A few minutes of comfortable silence later Chloe felt something in her hand.

 _What the fuck._

"Max is snowing!".

"I see" Max quietly replied.

"It's, like...eighty degrees. How?".

Max's phone went off.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked gently annoyed.

"It's Warren, he's a friend" Max replied as she silenced the phone.

A buzz.

"A text, it's Warren again, I'll answer later".

Another buzz. Max hid the phone inside her messenger bag.

"Surely it's about the snow and that spooky message" Max said without checking her phone.

The phone kept buzzing, one text after the other, incessantly.

Chloe looked away, ashamed. The two girls remained silent, fully aware of what was happening, Chloe's phone had not sounded once while Max's phone kept receiving messages.

With each buzz from Max's phone the situation became more uncomfortable.

"Just one sec, I... " Max said without finishing the sentence as she took the phone out of her bag.

"Yeah sure, go ahead, take care of your friends".

Chloe's phone buzzed. Surprised and seeing that Max was still busy typing, she decided to check it out.

 **Fucking liar:** _Hey, it's snowing! and we're on the beach, can't get much cooler than that_. _Wait... we're enjoying it together, that makes it the coolest thing ever._

Chloe looked up from her phone and noticed her friend who was still typing hard on her cell. Max had not changed her old number, and what was even more revealing, she still had Chloe's number in her phone.

Another buzz.

 **Fucking liar:** _Did you get that weird message too? Everybody has. We have to check what's going on. Do you want to be my sidekick? my faithful chauffeur?_

Chloe looked out of the corner of her eye at Max who had stopped typing but didn't dare look up from her phone.

She looked down at her phone and started typing.

She stopped, hesitating.

She looked up again at Max, her head still down.

She smiled.

And she began typing this time.

 **Chloe:** _Sure, let's kick some asses._

 **Super-Max:** _It's official. We're back._

Chloe looked up expectantly. Max simply waved her hand. "Let's get a kick out of it, then you can drive me back to Blackwell".

"Yeah, it 's almost magic".

Snow was falling all around her and Chloe was staring in amazement. A sense of peace invaded her, later she would return home and face the disaster that her life was, she would argue with her mother -probably- and her stepfather -certainly-. All that could wait. She was on the beach, almost impossibly it was snowing in October and what was even more puzzling, she was with Max.

Certainly not the day she could have foreseen, definitely the best she could have hoped for.

The sound of her father's Polaroid broke the silence. Max waited carefully for the photo to be developed before examining it. She had always been very insecure about her own talent however looking at this picture she could not help but smile with satisfaction.

"Lemme see that" Chloe said as she ripped the photo off her hands.

Chloe examined the photo eagerly. She appeared reclining, framed sideways with the sea in the background and the light reflecting on the snowflakes, giving an ethereal quality to the picture. Although the framing chosen by Max was perfect, what stood out about the picture, what made it truly remarkable, was the very girl portrayed in it. Max had captured a unique moment, without smiling, simply an honest calm reflected in her face, a peaceful expression impossible to force.

Unlike her friend, Chloe had very a limited knowledge of photography, but there was no denying that photo was exquisite.

"Fuck it Super-Max, I know I'm hot but this is another level, you make me look like I am something else".

"That's the way I see you".

"Oh my, flattery, you sure know what to say to a girl" Chloe replied in a joking tone.

"Not just any girl".

"I know I'm irresistible, you're not bad yourself, I guess you'll have all the Blackwell bros after you".

"You know it" Max replied with all the feigned self-confidence she could muster.

Jealousy.

Unquestionably, the expression that appeared on Chloe's face and despite her strenuous efforts to hide it was one of real jealousy.

 _Way to go. 1-0 for Caulfield team._

A slight pause to try to disguise (without any success) the situation and Chloe continued the conversation diverting the subject "Now, keep saying you haven't changed, I don't remember you being so confident before".

"I wasn't like that before moving, and not in Seattle either, I was a real wallflower back there, but I've been forced to change... You see today has been that kind of day, before we met I was forced to make difficult choices several times and I almost wet myself every single time. Insecurity and doubts don't disappear overnight".

"Are you in trouble?" Chloe replied genuinely concerned.

"There is a bunch of stuff I need to work out, but quoting you _let's fucking enjoy this moment_ , there will be time later".

"But you'll tell me." After the smirk at Max's comment, the tone of concern was evident and she correctly guessed that Chloe's concern was both for Max's safety and for herself being left out of whatever was going on.

"You will always be the first person to know".

Chloe's posture relaxed.

"Everything's going to be fine" Max took her friend's hand "nothing can ever go wrong if we are together".


	6. Taming Victoria Chase

**Chapter 6. Taming Victoria Chase.**

Feeling good about yourself is a fantastic feeling.

Max hadn't experienced that warming sensation since before moving to Seattle. Now, lying in her bed, thinking about the day that was coming to an end and how smooth things were with Chloe, she couldn't help but feel good.

Without either of them needing to say it out loud, the two girls had decided to stretch out their time on the beach as much as possible.

Chloe was immensely excited by the coincidence of being at such a special place when such an unexpected event occurred and Max was excited to see Chloe excited, but not exactly amazed by the coincidence. Not until Chloe was absolutely convinced that it wasn't going to snow anymore (she insisted that it threaten to snow after not a flake had fallen in more than 20 minutes and the sky was completely clear) did Max comment that maybe it was time to leave.

After hugging goodbye with the promise to hang out again tomorrow, which Max took extra care to mention before Chloe could bring up the subject, Max texted Warren. To his enormous astonishment, she asked him to come to his room. Very few girls went to the boys' dorm, it was usually the other way around and if you woke up early enough on weekends you could always spot some guy sneaking out of one of the girls' rooms, especially Dana and Juliet's. However, Max insisted that she wanted to thank him personally for defending her and taking a beating from Nathan on her behalf.

Warren rushed out to meet her in the dorm's hall **(1)**. Max felt a little weird watching him walking by her side, chin up, proud, looking right and left and bordering on abdominal distension. Puffing up so much couldn't be healthy. Poor guy's real chances were a little below absolute zero, but he deserved Max's appreciation and maybe in the future, they could be friends as long as he got into his big head that he was never going to leave the friend zone...and never really meant never in this case.

Max thanked him for his earlier chivalrous performance, to which Warren reacted further puffing up with pride, and apologized for rushing out of the scene. She explained him that the girl in the truck was an old friend from back when she lived in Arcadia Bay, dropping a couple of hints about how important she was to her. Warren didn't acknowledge any of it and Max had to politely decline his repeated invitations to "hang out" in his room.

No amount of colorful depictions of the nerd paradise that awaited her in his room was enough to convince Max and, to his tremendous dismay, she left his room reiterating his gratitude.

Once in the hall, Max tackled for her second objective, also in the boy's dorms and she managed to pull it off with a single rewind which further improved her mood.

The week had only just begun and there were still many issues left to solve, tomorrow was going to be a tough day, but that was tomorrow. Now Max was at ease, reflecting on Chloe being safe and sound and their improved relationship.

A serious of sharp, firm knocks on the door took her away from these thoughts.

Without bothering to put on her slippers she approached the door. That surely wasn't Kate's way of knocking which would initially be her strongest bet on the identity of the unknown intruder.

The door opened revealing a Victoria Chase sternly staring at her from her inches over.

"Who the fuck you think you are?".

Victoria raised her hand ready to slap her, however before she came down with the blow there was an instant of doubt, subtle and yet revealing. It was more an exercise of power than a real threat, nor meant to harm her, but to clearly establish their respective roles.

To Victoria's disgrace and unbeknownst to her, Max was, by a galactic distance, the most powerful of the two.

Max grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her inside with the other hand, leaning her back on the closed door. A stunned Victoria took a couple of seconds to figure out what was going on.

She was locked in Max's room.

"What are you doing, let me out immediately" she spat at her.

"No" Max resolutely said, "Sit down we need to talk".

"Step aside".

Max had never seen Victoria so enraged. Her interactions were limited to derogatory comments and some sort of belligerent disinterest in everything Max did. Struggling to push her away from the door with clenched teeth and neck veins like a relief map of the Amazon she was one step away from losing her Bruce Banner persona.

Victoria quickly realized that it was not going to be an easy fight. Max had the upper hand, her heels were pressing on the floor, all her weight was leaning on the door and she had both hands holding the crank tightly. Surely she could win, but at the cost of making a lot more fuss than she intended to. A public fight inside the resident hipster bedroom would require far more explanations than she was willing to offer.

"You're nuts, I can ruin your life here" grunted Victoria furiously. She had moved back and kept a two-step distance.

Catching her breath after the struggle, Max replied, "You know, that's the second time I've heard that today".

"Like I care what is wrong with your life, what is this shit about?".

"Just sit down for five minutes, I want to talk to you in private".

"No way, and let me out right fucking now".

"Give me five minutes and I swear I'll let you go" Max paused briefly and lowered her voice "We both know you have a lot more to lose than I do if we make a scene here, nobody gives a shit about me but you have a reputation to keep and a public fight in my room is something that wouldn't be easily overlooked in certain circles".

Victoria stared her down, fists clenched. Her anger was considerable, not only was she locked in Max 's (of all people) room, on top of that, she had been able to read the situation perfectly, now Victoria had no choice but to surrender to her demands. And the worst of all was that she was upset at herself in the first place. She should have never knocked on Max's door. She had been agonizing about it for hours, deciding whether to do it or not, but she was there and the real reason behind it should forever remain secret.

"Say whatever and let's get over with this, my day couldn't have been worse" Victoria conceded.

"Why did you come here?".

"Thank you for finally confirm your imbecility, my hand about to slap you has not been an obvious clue".

"Victoria" replied Max in a dismissive tone "you are taller than me, stronger, you run every morning if you really wanted to slap me I could not have stopped you".

Given the lack of response from her, Max was encouraged to continue "we both know I lied to Taylor, don't you have anything to say about it?".

"Yes I do, stay away from us, I'm giving you one last warning".

"We don't have to be enemies".

"Don't overestimate yourself, you're not my enemy, you're not qualified enough for that, you're nothing".

A confident smile appeared on Max's face, further infuriating Victoria who was fully aware that Max was calling the shots in this exchange.

"Look at me and look at yourself, do you think you're the first of your kind who has confronted me? I've only lived for five years in Seattle but it's been enough, I know perfectly well who is a really a bad person and who uses it as a display to hide something else... and you're not a bad person Victoria".

Max did not hesitate to use her leverage, unloading all her arsenal on Victoria "You know, I don't envy you at all, you are beautiful and you have style, but I can't even imagine the pressure you must experience just being yourself, always perfect, always number one ... no one expects me to be anything beyond plain simple Max, I can be myself and everybody accepts it, it's liberating".

Victoria's face was an assortment of contradictory feelings. She struggled to maintain her rictus of anger and existential displeasure, the one that could be considered her default expression. The conversation was slipping more and more out of her hands, she knew she was dancing to Max's tune and she hated not being in control. However her words resounded in her like the siren call. How easy it would be to lie down in Max' s bed, remove her designer shoes, smoke a cigarette and quietly confess the sad truth... that being Victoria Chase was a burdening task and that she secretly hoped for a simpler life, one without so much pressure.

"You have lots of fancy stuff, but there's something I have that no amount of money could provide you" Max kept going "I can offer you a bubble, a safe place. In this room, you can be yourself, not the Victoria everyone expects but the real you; not only that, as long as we are alone the offer stands, you can be yourself with me...and of course, you have my word that whatever you share with me will always remain between us".

Victoria frowned as she stared at her intently "I understand now, you're high. Look, I don't know what kind of drug you're on, but it must be something else".

"I don't do drugs, I don't even like beer," Max replied confidently "come on, Victoria".

"I repeat, stay away from me, you know nothing about me".

"You are wrong, I can see right through you. You want to be a better person but you don't know how. I dare you...I double dare you, be a better person, be the person you really want to be".

"OK," Vitoria said very slowly "so it's not drugs, a blow to the head? or maybe you're in the last stages of a degenerative brain disease. Nathan texted me before saying you were out of your mind and I see he's right".

"What happened with Nathan has nothing to do with this" Max replied too quickly "he was in the ladies room arguing with some girl and I happened to be there, I mean... it was the ladies room, after that he came looking for me and all I did was defend myself when he attacked me. I didn't report him and don't intend to, I don't want anything to do with what happened in that bathroom".

"I see" Victoria replied, making a mental note.

"You're very complicated" Max rubbed her face in a gesture that betrayed desperation "OK, let's try this, what do you think of my pictures?".

"Your fucking selfies with your toy camera? Do you seriously call that photography? That's a joke, it's an insult that you've been granted a scholarship because of those shitty pictures, a total disrespect for the rest of us".

"I'm calling bullshit on that, I know you have a high opinion of my shoots" before Victoria could deliver her bitter verdict on such a statement Max nuked her "I admire yours too, you are a very talented photographer with an own personal style, that's not easy to achieve so early in your career ... I could use your help to improve and maybe I could help you too".

What Victoria emitted next could only be described as an involuntary squeak. Too high pitched to be a grunt, too low to be a whistle and definitely originated in the unexpected praise. In short a squeak.

"Our work is gonna be exposed out there, for sure we're gonna face rejection and I rather have you are as a friend and partner. I don't need adversaries and for sure not one as talented as you are". Max repeated the compliment so there would be no room for doubt.

Victoria stood there considering her options.

The coin spun on the table, heads or tails, what was it going to be?. Was today the day Victoria Chase took a break from herself? With Max Caulfield of all people? Was she going to be the most unexpected protagonist of a new chapter in her life?.

The coin kept spinning, all the possibilities in front of her.

Walk down the only path she had ever known? Never to be loved, never to be cared, only feared and occasionally admired. A path she was increasingly uncomfortable with and one that, at the end, didn't ensure her a bright future as she had recently experienced in her own flesh.

Or start anew, freed from the constraints of being Victoria Chase, remove all the paraphernalia and focus on what really mattered to her.

Not now, not today.

"Are you done?" replied Victoria in the driest possible tone. "Can I go now?".

Max moved away from the door towards the other girl and took her by the hand "It snowed today, bad times are coming. Remember, together we're stronger".

"Don't ever touch me again, Lamefield," Victoria grunted as she shook Max off and headed for the door.

"Victoria" Max shouted, getting her to stop for a second before leaving the room "Drive safe tomorrow".

"Fuck you"

And with that, she left the room.

* * *

It was almost bedtime when Max finally could laid down in bed again. After Victoria left, she texted for a while with Kate, asking how she was doing and wishing her good night then she had deemed it appropriate to tidy up her room and that had required more time than she had initially anticipated.

Her phone buzzed with a late night text.

 **Chloe** : Is this real?

Max read the message no less than four times trying not to get emotional. All the memories accumulated over the past week and everything she found out about Chloe's life during the years that they were apart, fresh in her mind. How unfair life had been to her and yet when the moment of truth came, she really showed what she was made of.

What a wonderful human being.

How very fortunate Max was to call herself her friend.

 **Max** : Find it hard to believe myself, don't want it to end though.

 **Chloe** : Hella amen to that.

 **Max** : Early breakfast in my room tomorrow?

 **Chloe** : Major drawback in your plan, I'm forbidden to enter Blackwell.

 **Max** : Since when that 's been a problem for you, where's your pirate spirit? room 219. I'll be waiting for my grub.

 **Chloe** : You forcing me to break the law? sure Seattle air corrupts pure-minded young ladies.

 **Max** : Whatevs, first period starts at 11, around 8 in my room? we can hang out until I need to be back for my education.

 **Chloe** : Ughh fucking too early! you are killing me!

 **Max** : Lazybones

 **Chloe** : OK, will do.

 **Max** : That 's my Chloe.

 **Chloe** : See you tomorrow xoxoxo.

 **Max** : NO EMOJI!

 **Chloe** : what emoji?

 **Max** : xoxoxo

 **Chloe** : that's not emoji.

 **Max** : -:)

 **Chloe** : WHATTAFUCK!

 **Max** : Night Chloe.

 **Chloe** : Night Max.

Such a good day indeed.

 **Author notes.**  
 **(1)** +20 dorm cred.


	7. We were all wrong

**Chapter 7 We were all wrong**

For the first time in years, Max's first thought when she woke up was not to slack off a little more in bed, today was a busy day and there was no time to waste. Without leaving the warm, soft embrace of her bed (there was no need to exaggerate, abrupt changes do not bring any good) she extended her arm and took her cell phone.

 **Max:** I´m hungry like the wolf, bring lots of food. My treat.

 **Chloe:** Yes to extra grub and no way, I cover this.

Max shook her head. Her friend was broke and she knew the food was on her mother's tab, but Chloe wouldn't do it out of pride or stubbornness. She did it for Max, that's the kind of person she was.

 **Max:** Fine, Miss deep pockets.

 **Chloe:** Gotta go, grab a shower and hit the road.

A quick glance across the room confirmed that it was tidy. Laundry conveniently out of sight, books and notes not scattered around. Satisfied, she took a change of clothes, the shower supplies and headed for the showers.

The first thing she noticed on the hall was Alyssa, utterly unaware of the rest of the world, standing there like a sitting duck waiting to be shot. And of course that's what happened. With a fast swing Max deflected the TP projectile aimed at her head and by the looks of it, she was improving, because this time she only needed 4 rewinds to pull it off without ending up on all fours making a fool of herself.

The two girls stared, like a far west standoff, but instead of readied hands over holstered guns Alyssa and Max were dueling about who was able to say something that made a minimum sense before the other.

Max drew faster: "Dodgeball".

"Uh?".

"Back in Seattle, in high school, I played football and dodgeball, I was on both teams".

Alyssa was still staring at her seriously "so football AND dodgeball?".

"Yea, I know it doesn't look like it, but actually, I was pretty good".

Like a fish in a bowl, Alyssa held the same expression and Max began to feel uncomfortable feeling the other girl scrutinizing her as if trying to decipher an enigma. She finally dictated her verdict with wise words "Max, you are weird".

Being called weird by Alyssa Anderson of all people wasn't definitely on the Blackwell bucket list when Max applied.

"Anyway, serious thank yous, this is becoming a thing".

"You're welcome...um... gotta go, need to grab a quick shower, stuff to do". Max replied hastily, and for the second time in a row performed her own hit and run act.

"Wait, I..."Alyssa reacted too late and ended up talking to herself. Slightly disappointed she shook her head a couple of times and continued reading the message board "Whatever".

In the bathroom Max headed to the further sink and began to brush her teeth profusely. The door opened and Courtney came in, after a quick glance she approached Max and discarding the rest of the more distant sinks she placed herself in the one next to hers.

"Max" she said as her only salute while staring into the mirror.

"Courtney" she replied, returning the courtesy. At this point this was perhaps the most civilized exchange they had ever had.

"You know," Courtney continued without ever looking at her "That conversation you said you heard yesterday, the one about Taylor, that kind of talk... I'm the only one Victoria would ever share that stuff with, and it's kind of curious because I don't remember having that conversation at all".

Max stopped brushing her teeth and rinsed her mouth before answering "what do you mean?" she replied in a neutral tone.

"Nothing, I don't pretend to understand your reasons... I knew that Taylor's mother was in the hospital, I knew that she was having a hard time, but I didn't say a thing, I preferred not to get involved... I knew it and I didn't do squat, it had to be you who..."

"Courtney, I..." Max answered, this time with genuine concern.

"Don't... that's not your war" looking away from the mirror and fixing her gaze on Max, she followed her talk "this morning Victoria woke up at 4.30 to drive Taylor. Yesterday they were busy all afternoon making plans for today, routes, schedules, that kind of stuff. None of them thought I would like to join them, all I got was a text from Victoria instructing me to do her homework...you know, it's actually sad, they took it for granted that I wasn't going with them and I don't even know if it was because they thought I didn't want to come or because they didn't want me to. Makes you wonder, don't you think?".

"Look, I'm sorry".

"Don't be, as I said, not your war". Raising her hand in an unmistakable gesture, Courtney prevented Max from further interrupting her with supporting words "Victoria, Taylor and I have a pending conversation, that's our business and you shouldn't get involved, I've already talked too much with you".

"Why are you telling me then? I mean if I'm not supposed to... ".

Nodding almost inadvertently, Courtney looked at her from top to bottom, "Taylor needed it, I needed it too... and who knows, maybe even Victoria".

Choosing silence as her only answer, Max bowed her head fixing her gaze on the sink. She was still alien to this level of social interaction and fairly deficient in short distances. She didn't know what else to say and at the same time it seemed wrong not to take the chance to get closer to Courtney.

Taking a quick look at the shower bag the other girl had open over the basin, Max came up with an idea.

"Can I borrow your toiletries?".

"You've forgotten your own?" she replied in surprise.

"No, but all I have is the basic stuff and ... don't get me wrong, sure it gets the job done, but I've seen yours and I thought maybe I could use a change, improve and all that".

"This surely has nothing to do with a certain girl walking around the boys dorm yesterday" Courtney replied with a mischievous smile.

"No" Max rushed, "Warren and I are just friends".

"That's the lamest excuse you can offer".

"Well, I guess , you call me Lamefield for a reason".

This time it was Courtney's turn to be cut short before she provided an excuse "whatever, maybe I could have done more on my side, anyway I'm honestly not interested in Warren, I just went to thank him in person for something he did".

"I don't know how you could have done anything on your part if we never gave you a chance, but hey, you're right, let's drop it... so no Warren, but you're still interested in my toiletries?".

"Yeah, I mean, is that OK?".

"Um... I see" Courtney said carefully observing her "sure, in fact keep them, I already showered last night and I'm here just to brush my teeth, I'll drive town to buy some more stuff before class".

"Gee, thank you, that's very nice of you".

"If you need anything else, see... related to the improvements in shower supplies... I don't know, wardrobe or whatever, I could help you".

"Wow" Max replied half seriously half jokingly "smooth way to let me know you don't like my choice in dressing".

"Nooooo" Courtney immediately covered her mouth blushing, "that's not what I meant".

"Don't worry, yesterday I checked my wardrobe and it was quite the sad story, all I have are hoodies and generic jeans, I'm pretty sure I could use some fashionista advice".

"That would be nice, got any plans this weekend ..." she suddenly stopped, all the excitement replaced by concern "what do you make of yesterday's snow?, that weird message gives me the creeps, nobody talks about anything else in Blackwell".

"All I know is that if there's an eclipse today, we better get ready to evacuate on Friday" Max replied trying not to convey any emotion.

Courtney shook her head preoccupied and began brushing her teeth, ending the conversation with a slight friendly nod.

Max was fully indulging in the lavishing scent and the silky caress of her borrowed body wash and shampoo when Courtney called her shouting over the running water "CAULFIELD".

"Yeah?" she answered cutting off the water to avoid raising her voice.

"Good work, Caulfield, good work".

After leaving the bathroom, she went straight to Kate's room and knocked on the door without getting an answer. A bit concerned she entered her own room and phoned her, a couple of unanswered tones later she approached the wall separating both rooms and glued her ear to it. Kate's phone was ringing there, she'd left without it. Sensibly more concerned than before Max composed a fast text asking her to get in touch as soon as she read the text and got dressed. With nothing else to do but wait, she decided to check the news.

The freak snow of the previous day was front page news on all the local websites. Nobody had come out with a plausible explanation for the snowfall, climatology experts were claiming that it was scientifically impossible but the evidence was there. Some media, not many yet, echoed the strange message that had surfaced announcing the snow and more strange events to take place in the coming days. Someone wondered about the origin of the message, and (correctly) linked the anonymous account to Blackwell since before it went viral, it was originally sent to the students contact list.

 _Wait for tonight_ , Max thought as she continued to browse the internet.

Her phone rang and she rushed to answer when she saw Kate 's ID flashing in her lock screen.

"Where were you?" Max fired a bit too anxiously.

"I went for a morning stroll, yesterday you told me to lay low for a few days so I spent the afternoon locked in the room. This morning I needed some fresh air, I woke up early and went out when everybody was still sleeping or showering".

"Oh".

"You were worried about me?".

"No" Max lied, "I was surprised because you're usually in your room in the morning".

"Um..OK, what did you want, anyway?".

"I still have your copy of the October Country and I though I'd stop by your room, drop it off and have breakfast together".

"I'm not very hungry".

"I figured you'd say so, come on, I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten well in days. It's understandable".

"Lately I've been kind of losing my appetite, but..."

"It's already decided, I'm coming to your room and we'll have breakfast together. Wait for me there".

Max hung up and turned around to find Chloe, who had walked into the room unannounced and had evidently listened to the conversation. Nothing in her stance denoted anger or irritation. The girl staring at her, shoulders down, disheartingly holding a take away food box, was a defeated person.

"You..you are already ditching me?".

"Never" With two quick steps she reached her and without a word wrapped her two arms around Chloe's neck, resting her head on her friend's collarbone "I asked you for extra food because I wanted us to go see Kate, she's having a really bad time and needs our support, I would never abandon you for anyone... I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, I was trying to avoid you thinking I was dragging you into my other plans and it kind of backfired, sorry".

"it's OK I'm the one who should apologize, it's...".

"I know, I know, it wasn't that way, not at all".

Sensing how Chloe relaxed, Max took the advantage to squeeze tighter into her, trying to make the most of the situation.

"Max?".

"Yea?".

"You smell so good, what is it?".

"It's just my shampoo and lotion, the ones I use on school days, nothing major".

"I don't remember you smelling this way yesterday".

"You probably didn't realize... Oh my, I don't know what a girl has to do to get noticed". **(1)**

"Sorry" Chloe replied guiltily "I guess a lot happened yesterday".

"I'm giving you an out-of-jail card for this time, anyway you like it?".

"Yeah, smells nice, totally suits you".

Separating from Chloe (of course damning internally for it) she took her hand "come on, it's just the next-door room, Kate needs us, and please, watch your mouth, she´s not used to your habitual swearing".

The door opened revealing a Kate who was a bit brighter than yesterday. Sadly enough only a bit. The bags under her eyes were larger, though at least gone was the red in her eyes. She had clearly lost weight since August and her hair was tied up in her usual bun albeit in a a disheveled state.

"Oh, you are with someone else" she said as soon as she opened the door with obvious disappointment "Max, I don't think it's a good idea, I don't feel very social today".

"Maybe I should go" Chloe replied immediately taking the hint.

With her free hand, Max grabbed the food box from Chloe and lifted it in front of Kate "Comfort food".

Then she raised her other hand, dragging along Chloe's as they were still holding hands "and comfort people, we are here to make sure you get your daily dose of unhealthy food and I assure you we are not leaving until you finish your share".

Kate hesitated for a moment that Max used to stir the food box in front of her friend's face "I wonder what kind of wonderful food lies within this box". Making a very exaggerated gesture of smelling around she continued "smells terrific".

With a half-smile, defeated, Kate stepped aside and opened the door wide.

"First the food" Max hurried as she sat on the sofa, Kate sat on the edge of the bed and Chloe chose the floor, leaning her back against the sofa, between Max's legs (to Max's secret rejoicing). Opening the box she inspected the contents and had the delicacy to ask Kate in the first place "Bacon Omelette, Waffle or Cheeseburger?".

"Wow" Kate replied overwhelmed.

"I get the impression that your friend here is more the turkey sandwich type" Chloe replied amused.

"That's actually quite accurate... the omelet would be fine, I mean if that's OK with you guys, I can give you a share of it if you want".

"I've come up with a better idea, you two choose and I eat all the rest, I'll take care of your leftovers also".

Max shook Chloe's hair playfully "my friend is famous for a ton of things, but one that's not on the public eye is her tremendous appetite".

Seeing that Kate was laughing with this last exchange Max distributed the food, keeping the Waffle for herself and giving the cheeseburger, which seemed more convincing, to Chloe. Kate turned down the coffee offer and rose up to make her some tea.

"Remember I told you I had unfinished business in Arcadia Bay?" Max said to Kate as she sat back on the bed with the steaming tea in her hands.

"Right, you told me you had several reasons to return besides the photography program and that you needed to do something but you didn't dare...you never told what it was though".

Max and Chloe exchanged a meaningful look before the former answered "Chloe was my best friend in Arcadia Bay, far beyond best friend, she was my only friend, we grew up together. I had to move when she was through a very difficult time. I promised her nothing will change between us, but our goodbye wasn't as it should have been and.. well, I didn't call or text her in five years".

"Max... I'm so sorry, for you both, it must have been really hard on you, Chloe".

"Yesterday afternoon, we just bumped into each other and we talked...a lot. The thing is, she's going to be around, I plan on spending as much time as possible with her, making up for lost time and all that, and you are my closer person here in Blackwell. I guess the sooner you get to know each other the better, because we're going to spend a lot of time together. So, Kate Marsh, this is Chloe Price my unfinished business and the main reason for me being back in Arcadia Bay" Max said as he placed a hand affectionately on the other girl's shoulder.

Chloe made a little bow while still chewing "she forgot to add Arcadia Bay official punk and overall badass".

"Don't let her appearance fool you" Max replied "deep down she's a total softie, you just have to know her".

"Hey, don't ruin my reputation".

"I see how you two can get along" Kate chuckled "I guess then I'd be the official timid, religious girl... or at least I was" she added with a hint of pain in her voice.

"What's wrong" Chloe asked.

Max hopped up approaching Kate and hugging her "It's all right, it's all right, we're here to help".

"Did something happen?" Chloe insisted.

"She doesn't know?".

"No, I told her to come over to have breakfast together. All I said was that a friend needed help and asked her to come with me".

Max turned to Chloe while still holding Kate "she went to a party and her drink was spiked... they made a video and Victoria uploaded to the net".

"Victoria Chase? I´ll just assume it was her, who else? what's in that video?".

"You haven't seen it?" Kate asked puzzled.

"No, I keep a healthy distance from everything Blackwell related since I got kicked out".

"You two must be the only people in the whole building who haven't seen it, it's... strangely refreshing ... I suppose I should tell you then, in the video I appear kissing several guys, it seems one of them kissed me first and then he passed me around, like I was a ... a sex doll or something, but I don't remember anything... I don't drink... it's so embarrassing, my family and my Church have seen it and..."

"Victoria, always willing to screw up other people's lives" Chloe said angrily "do you know who spiked your drink?".

"no"

"Yes" Max quickly cut "she doesn't know, but I've been... digging, I know for a fact it was Nathan Prescott".

Chloe turned pale, which did not go unnoticed by Kate at all, her face shifted into a rage mask, clenching her fists so tightly that her knuckles whitened "fucking Nathan, I'm gonna kill him. I swear I'm killing him".

"We have to wait, I told Kate the same thing, I know it's hard, but you have to listen to me. I've been working on this for a while and now I have Chloe's help also, but you two have to be patient. I can't tell you just now how or why... please".

"Max, what kind of investigation could you have done, you are an 18 year-old girl with hella no resources who has only been in Arcadia for a month and a half, there is no fucking way you can solve this on your own" Chloe protested.

"All I can say is that I am definitely not on my own and I wish I could tell you more but it's not safe, not yet".

"Bullshit, I wanna take the fucker down now before he tries to hurt someone else".

"Chloe, please, I'm begging you".

"Fine" Slamming a frustrated punch on the floor Chloe got up and headed for the mirror tugging off the cloth that covered it, with the cloth still in her hands she turned towards Kate "I know what this means, I've been through some low times myself, this rag goes off fucking now. Someone spiked your drink, you're not responsible for what happened next, you have nothing to be ashamed of".

"How do you know? My family, my Church have disowned me, they've seen the video, I can't deny it's me".

Throwing the cloth to the floor, Chloe sat on the bed with the other girls and hugged Kate "You have nothing to be ashamed of".

"But my family" Kate said as she began to sob in her friend's arms.

"I refuse to believe no one in your family backs you" Max replied making good use of her knowledge.

"No, in fact it's only my mother and my aunt, but they are really high in my church's ranks, specially my aunt, her voice is relevant...she called me a Jezabel".

"I understand then that your father and your sisters support you" Max went on.

"Yes".

"There are many churches, I'm sure even right here in the Bay you can find a congregation that supports you, then there's your father and sisters and us, you are not alone".

"The Word of the Lord." Chloe added gravely.

Max and Kate backed away and looked weirdly at the other girl. Chloe defended herself "what? I'm trying to be empathetic here, that's what they say at mass, isn't it? It's the only thing I remember from back when I was a child".

Kate laughed slightly and dried her eyes on the sleeve, Max returned to the sofa "we're going to finish breakfast, you gotta eat, you're weak. I promise you that Chloe and I will solve this, I ... I can assure you that by the end of the week no one will remember your video".

"How can you be so sure?".

"Just wait and see".

Max sipped her coffee. After realizing that they were not going to get further answers from her, Kate and Chloe continued eating.

"Can you hand me the box?" Max balled the paper that wrapped her waffle and finished her coffee before throwing the empty container into the box Kate handed her. She stood up to right ways sit again on the floor between the two other girls.

"You know, the three of us are very different apparently, but there's one thing that makes us all the same, we were all wrong" before the expectant faces of her friends Max continued. "I thought that Chloe would never forgive me and she did at once, Chloe thought that I had moved on and not a single day went by without me thinking about her and Kate thought she was alone, and she's not" Max ended, taking the hands of her two friends and giving them a light squeeze.

"I'm not alone, that's true, but I think I only have you two, no one else has reached out".

"Maybe people didn't know how to react".

"It's only logical" added Chloe getting up to get what was left of Kate's omelet "this can't go to waste" she offered as an explanation "so you said you're a religious girl, right?".

"Quite obviously".

"You have to put yourself in their shoes, suddenly you go out one night and something happens that breaks all their schemes OH MY GOD WHAT'S THAT?"

Max and Kate were startled by Chloe's sudden outburst, following her gaze they understood that she was looking at Alice's cage. "That's my pet rabbit, um, it's been there the whole time, you haven't noticed yet?".

"I was busy being my own awesomeself, ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST THING EVER?".

"Her name is Alice".

"ALICE?, I WANT IT ON ME, I WANT IT ON ME, LET HER OUT OF HER CAGE PLEASE!".

Kate looked at Max quite terrified, but she made a dissenting gesture with her hand "it probably sounds better in her head, she just wants to caress her".

"OK then" Kate nodded and pulled Alice out of the cage handing her over to an overexcited Chloe.

"GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!".

A few moments later and without any of the girls noticing, Dana and Juliet entered the room to find Chloe lying on the floor in ecstasy with the rabbit on her tummy and Max and Kate looking at her amused.

"I've faked orgasms with Logan with less an emotional display than this girl is showing" Dana whispered to Juliet's ear.

"Isn't that girl the one who always hung out with Rachel?".

"Yea, Chloe... she used to study here but she was kicked out".

"What's her business here?... with Max and Kate?".

"I have no clue".

Dana cleared her throat to draw attention "Girls, what's going on?".

"Not much, except I think Chloe's in love". Max quickly answered.

"LEMME DYE HER BLUE I WANNA DYE HER BLUE, JUST THE TOP, PLEASE, PLEASE" Chloe interrupted them, provoking an outburst of general laughter.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Kate asked after everyone stopped chuckling.

"We've heard screaming and we've come over to check on you".

"Oh," Kate answered surprised "you were worried about me?".

"Well, of course, with the video and everything going on".

Max gave Kate a meaningful look which she acknowledged "about the video, I wanted to let you know that somebody spiked my drink, I was drugged".

"You see" Dana lightly shoved Juliet as she talked "I was right, There had to be something wrong in that video that wasn´t Kate at all".

"It was me, I was drugged but it was me".

"That's what I meant, I told Juliet something must have happened, we didn't thought that could be like, normal you".

"Can I ask you two something?".

"Sure thing" Juliet answered this time.

"It was obvious that I was having a hard time when the video was out, you had always been nice to me, but you never came to talk to me or ask me how I was doing, why?"

"I'm sorry, we should...".

"no no no, sorry Dana, I didn't mean to guilt-trip you or anything, I was talking about that with Max and Chloe before you came and I would like to know why".

Dana and Juliet looked at each other and bowed their heads in shame. Dana took the lead and started speaking "Kate, we like you, you are nice and polite and 100% drama free, but we've only known you for a short time. That was your first party, it was confusing. The religious girl who single-handely ran the abstinence club, we didn't know about your former life, I don't know... maybe that was the real you, maybe you just have turned into religion to escape your previous life, we didn't have a clue...we were lost".

"Told you so" Chloe who had been listening to the whole conversation while cuddling Alice picked that moment to join "it wasn't easy for them to figure out what was going on".

"I see" Kate conceded "I was feeling so low and I thought everybody was laughing at me, it never occurred to me...".

"Of course we want to help you" Dana cheered.

Max took the opportunity to pick up Alice ignoring Chloe's protests and returned her to her cage "girls, Chloe and I need to leave , why don't you stay here catching up with Kate?, surely she can use the company".

"Go, we´ll take care of Kate until first period". Juliet answered.

Back in Max´s room, Chloe looked at her with an inquisitive face "What's a Jesiball?".

"You dork, it's Jezabel, I guess it's somebody from the Bible".

"So this Geezabel went to a party and made out with a bunch of bearded guys in gowns?...maybe I should consider reading the Bible if it includes this frisky stories".

"It´s Jezabel and surely it´s like a metaphorical thing".

"Lame, duh".

"Whatever, anyway, I need to visit the bathroom before we go, I want you to promise me that you will cause no trouble while I 'm gone".

"You are hurting my feelings". Chloe answered putting as much drama as she could.

"let 's settle with I know what you are capable of ".

Max excused herself and made a bee line to bathroom, once there she closed herself in a stall and took out her cell.

 **Max:** your offer still stands?

 **Courtney:** what do you need?

 **Max:** The toiletries you gave me, can you buy some more? I'll pay you back in class.

 **Courtney** : :) :) :)

 **Courtney:** no prob.

 **Courtney:** which size.

 **Max:** not sure, largest maybe? grab one of each.

 **Courtney:** U are so funny. I'm on it, but you are so gonna gimme dets.

 **Author notes**

 **(1)** All is fair in love and war.


	8. The secret life (lives) of Rachel Amber

**Chapter 8 The secret life (lives) of Rachel Amber.**

"I could have also picked you up in the parking lot, then we'd go to the two whales and grab the takeout, we'd eat at Blackwell, and then you'd come back and see Joyce ...or maybe, you two could have ridden a bus to the two whales, I'd wait for you there, we'd eat there, we'd grab takeout for Kate and then we'd drive back to Blackwell... wait, wasn't Kate with us already in that last one?".

Max snorted in annoyance. Chloe had been providing progressively more absurd and convoluted alternative plans for the last ten minutes.

"Don't snort at me, there are infinite possibilities".

"Gimme a break, all I've said is that I'd like to drop by the two whales and quickly greet Joyce".

"But I already been there this morning, we got it wrong, we could've...".

"STOP IT...no more plans, please. I promise you, next time I'll give it some thought beforehand, but please no more intricate elaborations".

"OK OK," Chloe said, raising for a second both hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road".

"Yes Mum" after what Max could have sworn was the shortest possible span of time, Chloe continued, as an unrelenting torrent of words "Well, if I'm not allowed to share insight on how we could have managed better this morning's schedule, let's have a meaningful word about that guy we met on the way to the parking lot, what was his name? Walter? Warner?".

"Warren, his name is Warren".

"That's it, Waldo".

"Whatever".

"What was that again? he invited you to go ape with him?" Chloe asked with a mischievous smile.

"Oh come on, that was nowhere near what you are picturing, there's a planet of the apes movies marathon next week in the drive-in cinema in Newberg".

Displaying her best smart-ass attitude Chloe raised her index finger pointing at her friend "That was surely part of his evil doing, tricking you into an, in appearance, innocent plan, but I'm sure his mind was set on the other stuff monkeys do, you know...".

"Chloe, Warren it's just a friend".

"No way, this boy has totally the hots for you, I've been about to tell him it's rude to point".

Max stared at Chloe wondering. She was driving, her eyes fixed on the road with her usual half-grin on her face. Suddenly Max understood what her friend meant by "you are so gross" she said while patting her friend on the forearm "Warren is not my type, in any case".

"Is not? what is your type anyway, because I can totally see the two of you together doing hella cute nerdy stuff".

"Why are you so concerned about my love life? you won't stop asking, is there something you want to tell me?".

According to some experts, there are exactly 105 different shades of red, and all of them without exception were scattered around Chloe's face, who like a good girl who wants to avoid trouble kept her hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road after the scolding.

* * *

Max chose to walk into the two whales on her own, making sure that Chloe's truck remained in a prominent spot. Joyce was surprised to see her, figuring she wouldn't meet her until the next morning and questioned her about it. The questions were quickly diverted with a couple _you look exactly the same as before I left_ and a _I couldn't help but thanking you for the best Waffle I've eaten in five years_.

"I'm done, fast enough?". Max asked as she buckled her belt.

"Yea, that was quick, where now?".

Watching through the windscreen at Frank's RV that was parked in the same place as the week before, Max took a deep breath.

 _No reason to stall_.

"To the junkyard, please".

Chloe slowly turned her head towards her friend. Her face, which had just regained its healthy color, suddenly turned pale.

"Why there? It's just... a junkyard".

"I've been there before, I'm familiar with the place ... I also know you used to spend a lot of time there".

"How can you possibly know that?".

"Before we met, someone asked me for help. She badly needed info about somebody's whereabouts and I was her only option. We came upon a lot of interesting information about Blackwell and Arcadia Bay. That's how I found out that it was Nathan who drugged Kate, I also discovered many places, like the junkyard... and the hideout". **(1)**

"Not many people hang around there".

"I can only guess, it's a weird place. At least you did, and some others too".

Without starting the engine, Chloe hesitated. Max openly admitted that she knew more than she was willing to share, at least for the time being, and that was not a comfortable state of affairs for Chloe at all. Max had asked for her trust, but Chloe had figured out a long time ago that she couldn't trust anyone the hardest possible way...still, it was Max, she was back and she came because of her.

"Fuck it" Chloe mumbled and started the truck.

"I know you're the one putting up the posters for the missing girl". Max had been silent the whole drive, while Chloe busied herself singing along her punk tapes. Before speaking, she had stretched and lowered the radio "Rachel Amber, the girls in the dorm told me about her, they said that you were very close".

"Yes," Chloe replied laconically after a long pause "we were".

"You two were... you know?".

"She's been gone for six months. One day she was here, the next one she just vanished, without telling me or anyone else. Since then, no one has heard from her". Adding nothing else she turned up the radio again and thus ended the conversation.

* * *

Chloe parked at the junkyard entrance, next to the boat, and the two girls got out of the truck. "Go ahead to the Hideout, Club House, whatever, I'll be right there in a sec" Max said.

"Is something wrong?".

"No, I wanna send a couple texts, that's all".

"To your mysterious fellow investigator? I'm intrigued about the whole detective thing you have going on".

"No" Max replied with a half smile "I can assure you it'll be quite a shock, but no, it's not her, I'm texting Victoria".

"Victoria Chase? After what she's fucking done to Kate, what do you have to say to her?".

"She's not as bad as she seems, she's fighting her own demons".

Chloe stared incredulously at Max as if she was unable to understand her words "you know what? I'm not gonna bother or try to even understand" and with this, she turned around and went ahead.

 **Max** : Tori, how are you?

 **Max** : How was the drive down to the hospital?

 **Max** : Did you had a word with Taylor?

 **Max** : How is her mother doing?

 **Victoria** : never, I repeat never, call me Tori again.

 **Victoria** : about your questions:

 **Victoria** : fuck you.

 **Victoria** : fuck you.

 **Victoria** : fuck you.

 **Victoria** : fuck you.

 **Victoria** : If I didn't miscount, I think I answered all them.

 **Victoria** : Don't ever text me again.

With a slight grunt of satisfaction, Max put the cell phone back in her pocket and opened the truck door, shuffling in the glove compartment until she found what she was looking for. The gun had a cold feel and was heavier than it looked. It was an unpleasant sensation, though she had never experienced it, she imagined it to be the closest thing to stroking a snake.

As she had learned to do the night before in a YouTube tutorial, she checked that everything was in place and there were enough bullets in the magazine. With strong apprehension, she removed the safety and walked towards a clear spot, took a deep breath and aimed upwards, slightly inclined so that the bullets would trace a parabola and fall into a safe place.

BANG...BANG...BANG...

Three shots in succession with a short pause between each one thundered in the junkyard.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Chloe made her appearance with a distorted grimace, while the gunshot's echo still reverberated. After confirming with a quick glance that Max was safe and out of danger, she allowed herself a small relief "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?".

Max quietly put the safety back and returned the gun to the glove compartment "I need someone to notice us".

"By shooting a gun?, I almost had a heart attack, if something had happened to you..." Chloe ran her hands over her face snorting in despair "listen, promise me you won't ever do that again, please".

"Oh, don't worry about it, I despise guns with all my soul".

Chloe took a couple of deep breaths, trying to regain a healthy heart rate before continuing "How the fuck did you know I had a gun?".

"Mr. Madsen said he was missing a gun, the math is quite easy" She closed the truck door and set off, dragging her friend along without giving her an option to answer. "Let's go inside".

"I..." Max said musing as her gaze vaguely wandered inside the shelter "I can't help feeling that I'm an intruder here like this is a side of your life that I'm not a part of and I have no right to be here".

Chloe plopped herself on the couch before answering "It doesn't have to be that way, if you'd stayed in Arcadia Bay things would have been different, the three of us could have been hella best friends".

"I don't know about that... but I didn´t ... I don´t belong here".

"Let's drop it" Chloe said struggling to keep her uneasiness at bay. Being in this place was particularly painful and she desperately wanted to know why her friend choose this specific location "Why are we here?".

"I've found out information that somehow concerns you. Coming here is the easiest way to tell you and I strongly believe you should know about it ... although I advise you-you're not gonna to like it".

Chloe sank her head between her knees and held that position for a few moments before she got back up and took a deep breath "that bad?"

A slight nod and a sad grimace were enough response for Chloe. "Fine, whatever it is, just tell me".

"In that trash can" said Max pointing to the corner "there's a crumpled letter there, can you please fetch it?".

"There's no need for it" Chloe reacted visibly when Max mentioned the letter as if a heavy weight had fallen on her "I know perfectly what it fucking says, I've already read it...many times" she added sadly "What do you have to do with it?".

"I'd like you to tell me what kind of relationship you had with Rachel Amber".

"It's... was... very complicated, look, I don't feel like talking about it, whatever you have to tell me about the letter, tell me and let's get over with this".

"Mark Jefferson, the person Rachel refers to in that letter is Mark Jefferson, he's a photography professor at Blackwell, they had a relationship before she disappeared".

"Are you sure?" Chloe said anxiously.

"I am" she replied with sadness. Chloe's mood was decaying with almost every word Max said and she couldn´t help but feel guilty about it. Knowing that it was the right thing to do didn't make it any easier.

"A relationship? wasn't it just a short-lived affair?".

"I wasn't physically there, but I'm afraid that's not the case, even the way the letter is written refers to something more serious" Max had barely begun and Chloe was already totally defeated, her gaze fixed on the floor and overwhelmed "you didn't know anything until you read the letter?".

"No, Rachel was extremely secretive about... the time we didn't spend together, she always dodged all my questioning, fuck it... now I understand why. I should have known better, I mean... it's so obvious now".

"I'm sorry you have to find out this way, I think it's only fair that you know the facts".

"I guess you're right. I tried to ignore it, as if it didn´t happen, I thought... I don't know... that it was a slip... I don't fucking know what I thought, that letter doesn't speak of a one night stand... I really don't...".

Max leaned over Chloe and put an arm on her shoulder trying to comfort her. She consciously tried to keep physical contact to a minimum, respecting her intimacy at such a difficult time. She knew the truth about Rachel, her many secret lives and her final demise but that didn´t make her less of an outsider. The hideout and the memories of the time lived there, belonged to Chloe. Tainted as they were by Rachel's lies, it was still Chloe, and only her, who had to figure out how to make sense of them.

"Rachel hooked up with a teacher, that doesn't say much about either of them" Chloe said absently.

"When did you find our about the letter?".

"A few days after she left...she used to vanish, sometimes for entire days, but once it was obvious this wasn't one of those times I started searching for clues everywhere, that's when I found it. I felt betrayed, I wanted... fuck it... I still want to confront her, she could have told me".

"That's all you've found out since she went missing?".

Chloe nodded. Max stood up and looked away from his friend uneasily "I've give it a lot of thought and I think the best way to deal with it is to come clean to you at once, just like the first chat we had in your truck, I told you before that I'm not so self-confident, I...I...do believe this is the best way...my biggest worry is that I know for sure no matter what, you are gonna get hurt".

"You mean telling me the truth about Rachel?".

"It's either that or it blows up in your face".

"At this point, I'd rather hear it from you".

"That´s what I thought...you see, Chloe, there's more about Rachel, it wasn't just Jefferson".

"More?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"She... she was sleeping with someone else before hooking up with Jefferson".

Chloe shrugged, powerless, aware that she had no ground to oppose her "Is it stupid if I ask again if you are sure about it?" she replied in a shaky voice.

"We found out while looking for something else and there's no possible mistake" Max made a slight pause "with Jefferson we know it was him but not much else, in this case, I've seen it with my own eyes; letters, photos, it wasn't a one-night thing either... I don't want to go into a bunch of details, though".

"A relationship, another one, and she kept it all from me... who was it?".

"The gunshots? those were because of him, that guy hangs around here, I made sure he knows where to find us".

"That sounds over-elaborated, why don't you just straight tell me, like you just did with Jefferson".

"There's something else going on with that guy, I'd rather be with you when you face him, but I need you to keep it together, he can get aggressive and I don't want you to get into trouble".

"And of course you are not telling me who he is".

This time it was Max who took some time to reply evaluating her options "you know what?" she finally said "I hate keeping stuff from you, even if it's for your own good, that guy...he...it's Frank Bowers".

Max's statement rendered Chloe speechless. That couldn't be happening, not him. The implications were far beyond Rachel having another affair behind her back, that was pure betrayal.

"Rachel wouldn't hook up with Frank, not in a million years. You should see the guy, he's a disgusting drug dealer, Rachel wouldn't go so low". Chloe articulated a weak defense, however, she wasn't herself believing her excuses as she said them out loud.

"I'm really sorry Chloe, this guy is wearing Rachel's bracelet. You'll know I'm telling the truth when you see it".

"That can't be, Rachel would not give the bracelet to anyone, she was extremely attached to it".

Max bowed her head and mumbled the umpteenth "I'm sorry" and Chloe could no longer hold her tears.

One cigarette and two crying outbursts later Max dared to approach her friend and comfort her. Chloe kept shaking, distressed, but she relaxed as her friend held her tight silently.

"Now what?" Chloe finally asked.

"We just have to wait for him".

Rising up, Chloe headed towards the door, turning her head to Max just before leaving the Club House "let's get out, I need fresh air".

Avoiding a certain area on purpose, Max headed to the bunch of cars where they had practiced shooting the first time around and sat on a hood, hitting a spot next to her for Chloe to join.

"I don't know what to say" Chloe said as she lay down lighting up just another smoke "Rachel would disappear for days and would never tell me where she was, that drove me hella crazy".

"You don't need to say or explain anything, all I want is for you to know the truth".

"Yea, fucking right" she replied, exhaling the smoke.

"Hey, it's Thelma and Louise. Or is it Bonnie and Clyde?".

Frank made his entrance from the opposite side of the junkyard with exactly the same stupid and unfortunate wording as the previous time, which on the other hand was quite logical.

"I heard the gunshots, it's cute that you're playing with guns, just like me at your age".

"We're not anything alike, man, I don´t sell drugs" Chloe replied, studying Frank carefully. He was wearing a long-sleeved jacket, and unlike the week before the bracelet was covered by the sleeve.

"There's other stuff where we don't look alike, you owe me money and I don't owe you shit".

"You'll get your money".

"Don't they all say that? Y'know, even when they're broke and acting tough...".

"I'm covering for her".

Frank and Chloe turned immediately in shock. Max was calm, serene, and so there was no doubt, she repeated slowly and in a clear voice "whatever debt, I'll pay for it".

"Max, you don't know what kind of..."

"Whatever it is" Max insisted "Frank here just wants his money and he doesn't care who pays him" turning to Frank she added, "there's only one condition, I pay you, and you leave Chloe alone".

"Come on, it's a 3 grand problem you're walking into" Chloe moaned as she pulled on her friend's sleeve.

"I got this" Max answered without blinking at the figure Chloe threw her "please" she added lowering her voice so that only her could hear it "let me deal with this one, money is not a problem, your safety it's my only concern here".

A sudden realization struck Chloe hard "Is that why you wanted us to face Frank together?".

Without answering, Max turned to Frank raising her voice "deal?".

"I have no interest in singing Kumbaya by a bonfire with her" Frank sneered back.

"Not enough, I want your word. I pay you, debt plus interest and you leave Chloe alone".

"Fine Fine" Frank accepted "my money and I'll leave your girlfriend alone".

"She's not my girl..." Chloe stopped halfway the sentence staring at Frank's wrist. He had accompanied the last sentence with a scornful hand gesture, in doing so his sleeve had stretched and the wrist had become visible and with it, the bracelet. "WHY ARE YOU WEARING RACHEL´S BRACELET?".

Even though she knew, even though she didn't doubt Max's word, she asked. As if there was still hope that the whole thing was a macabre joke.

"Calm yourself, alright? It was a gift".

"A gift? Rachel gave you her bracelet? A rotten drug dealer?" Chloe said raising her voice.

"Chloe, please calm down." Max grabbed her friend's arm, pulling towards herself, but Chloe stirred free.

"I guess you would have wanted her to give it to you, she told me that you asked for it, so here is the news for you... she wanted me to have it, not you".

"You don't know what kind of connection we had, don't you dare talk about us".

"US?" Frank mocked her "there was no us, there never was. It was just you pathetically running after Rachel like a lost puppy while she tried to live her life without you bothering her too much".

"You lied to me" Chloe shouted back, her voice choked with pain "we blazed together, we hung out at your RV, the three of us... and you two were sleeping together behind my back, laughing at me, you should have told me".

"I didn't have to tell you shit" Frank said bitterly. "I had enough putting up with you, always fluttering around her. You have any idea how frustrating it was to be fucking her and her phone wouldn't stop vibrating...or the look on her face when she saw 15 missed calls from you right after getting laid... fuck you Chloe, you were a such a pain in the ass.. all Rachel wanted was for us to run off to LA together".

"She wanted to bail to LA with you?" Chloe said in disbelief.

"Damn sure she wanted to, we made a lot of plans, we had my RV... it's just... you and your fucking obsession with her, it gets a special kind of dumb-assery not to realize she didn't reciprocate your feelings... if only you hadn't been so clingy, everything is your fault".

 _Enough is enough_.

"Hey Frank, don't get so cocky about it" Max interrupted by taking a step forward "You honestly think Rachel was so crazy about you?".

"Now who's talking? the cheap-ass replacement. I'm gonna give you one free advice, be careful with blue hair bitch, she's a total nut job, she can get really clingy and suffocate you, that is unless you just want her as a girl-toy in which case you have a fucking disgusting taste".

"Really funny" Max replied with a smirk on her face "don't worry about it, I've known Chloe for much longer than any of you, but please answer me since we're talking about you and Rachel. If you had such a special relationship I imagine you'll know where she is? which brings me to why you are stuck here in AB?".

"No" Frank immediately mutated the superiority tone to a more serious one "nobody knows where she went, she didn't tell me anything about leaving, I'm worried about her".

"Are you sure you two were together when she disappeared? Was it business as usual between you? no sudden absences? no missed calls?" Frank looked down for a second, just enough for the gesture to betray him. "Come on, I'm pretty sure it rings a bell".

"That's bullshit, you are making that up".

"You may not believe my words, but in there, in the hideout, you can find a letter she wrote to Chloe, telling her about a guy she hooked up with and, sorry about that, but you're not that guy".

"As I said, bullshit" Frank replied with an increasingly shaky voice.

"You can go read it yourself if you don't trust me, if she loved you so much I'm sure she wrote you fancy love letters, you can compare the handwriting".

"You are so full of shit" Frank replied infuriated.

"Am I?" Max kept a mocking smile that only pissed off Frank even more "you know what? I'm quite sure Rachel didn't swing for the same team, she really cared about Chloe and tried not to hurt her feelings, in your case? she just dumped you for someone else".

And of course, at that very moment, when Frank was at his anger peak and viciously on edge, the ever-magnificent Chloe Price decided to intervene with a non-diplomatic statement "fucking loser, she dumped you for a better guy".

Then it all happened so fast.

Apart from Pompidou, Rachel Amber was the only good thing in Frank's life, granted, good meant unrelated to drugs, filth, or dirty business. Many a time Frank himself couldn't believe how lucky he got with her, but whenever Rachel set a foot on her RV, she made sure he felt like the most special guy on earth. It was in those moments, after a 19-year-old girl had done things to him that no woman in his life had ever dared to do before, that he felt at his best. She was a natural, not a shadow of a doubt about it.

And now these bitches, fucking Chloe Price and her Blackwell brat friend, were throwing it at his face. All the doubts that he had secretly fed since before she disappeared, becoming a painful reality, she found a better guy. He might be fucked but sure as hell, he was taking Chloe down with him.

In a second Frank pulled out his automatic switchblade and threw himself at Chloe, pressing it against her neck, drawing a bit of blood.

"Who's the loser now, bitch?".

Something caught his attention in his peripheral vision, but instead of paying attention to it, he pushed the switchblade deeper into Chloe's neck, making her bleed a little more.

"Stay the fuck away from her or I'll blow your brains out".

Now she had all his attention.

Slowly, Frank turned to discover Max pointing a gun at him.

Drug selling is a line of business with many perks. The hours are not bad, you don't need specific education or a license for it and you make a shitload of cash. Then there's this little issue of it not being legal, but if you can take a way around that, it's definitely good business.

Any seasoned drug dealer will tell you that picking up the right place to establish your head office is half the key to success and concerning that, Frank Bowers had hit the jackpot. Being the armpit of a town that Arcadia Bay was, it didn't seem like the best place to venture into business, but as in so many other stances in life, appearances deceive and only those with a true entrepreneur vision see things for what they truly are. There was a single reason why Arcadia Bay was a sweet spot for that particular enterprise. Blackwell Academy.

Because what else can rich, spoiled teenagers do in an isolated shit town but get high and party? Answer: nothing (or study, but come on).

Frank was the only dealer in Arcadia Bay, which meant that he was cashing in all the drug money flowing in the area. That he chose to live like a pig was a purely personal choice, because he certainly had plenty of cash to improve his living. And this enviable position had not been won in a selection board or via a personal interview, but on the grounds of several serious whacking.

All of this to attest that Mr. Bowers was an experienced brawler and he certainly knew how to tell the difference between someone really dangerous and someone who was bluffing, and this skinny girl who looked like she was gonna crumble if you blew hard enough wasn't bluffing.

Her pupils were contracted, not dilated, she had taken a step forward and her hands were firm on the trigger. On top of that there was this dire determination in her voice. For whatever reason, that girl was willing to risk a life in prison for protecting Chloe.

"I said stay the fuck away from Chloe, I'm not even counting to three".

Knowing how to recognize a defeat, Frank pressed the mechanism of his knife and the blade was concealed. "Fine, but you'll pay for this".

"All I'm gonna pay for is Chloe's debt, once that´s out of the way I plan on not seeing your disgusting face ever again".

Chloe ran her hand around her neck checking for injuries, verifying that it was just a superficial scratch, she addressed Max "keep him at bay just a little longer".

"You heard the blue hair bitch, move a hair and... bang" Max said in a mocking tone.

"I was so wrong, it's not just Chloe, you both went bananas".

"We're perfectly sane, thank you, you're the one who's lost it, thinking you could threaten Chloe in front of me and get away with it".

Chloe, who had undoubtedly heard the whole exchange, appeared again on the scene with a ball of crumbled paper in her hand. Approaching Frank she threw it at his face scornfully "There you have it, the fucking letter, read it and discover the real Rachel, you can keep it... in fact, you can keep everything in the Clubhouse I'm done with this place".

Max lowered the gun and grabbed her friend's arm. "We'll contact you before the end of the week to pay the debt until then, forget about us".

"That was some level 99 badass performance, poor Frank almost wet his pants" Chloe said still in shock when they'd gone far enough from him.

"He wasn't the only one, I hate guns".

"You didn't seem that scared aiming him point-blank range".

"It all goes down on what's at stake. Something scares you...the alternative scares you even more, I had no option left. For the record I really hate guns"

The two girls got to the truck and Chloe went to the driver's door "Give me the keys, you're in no shape to drive" Max said outstretching her hand. Some sort of telepathic bond must be developing between them, because Chloe's first thought was an annoyed _I´m fine_ that she didn't say, but Max's disapproving look was the same. Just a small modification to a conformed _fine_ , an approving gesture by Max, and both girls found themselves rolling back to Blackwell.

"Be careful in sharp turns, steering it´s difficult to manage".

"Fine".

"Remember to hit the brakes before you are used to, brakes are hard".

"OK".

"And...".

"Will you please stop it, I said I got this".

"I´ll leave it in your hands then" a grumpy Chloe replied.

A couple of minutes later the two girls were still silent "Chloe, talk to me".

"What do you want me to say?".

"Really? are we gonna play this game? You haven't said anything about Rachel since we got out of the Junkyard".

"There's not much to say, bitch lied to my face".

"Don't be like that, she probably had his reasons, maybe even she thought of telling you at some point." **(2)**

"I can't believe you're fucking standing up for her".

"I didn't know her" Max replied as she skillfully dodged a car that suddenly swerved without properly signaling "I just wanted you to know the facts and I'd rather you find out from me than otherwise".

"You didn't know her, that' s true, but you know what she was doing, Frank, Rachel and me, we used to hang out, there were probably days that I drove her home only for her to ran back to his RV.. fuck it...you must think I'm pathetic".

Max took Chloe's hand and squeezed it affectionately "I've never thought that and I'll never will, but if you expect me to talk shit about Rachel, you're wrong, this wasn't about that".

"Dully noted" Chloe said with a snort "at least tell me if there's any other _fact_ I should know about".

"Uh?".

"Was she sleeping with someone else?".

"Oh...I don't know for sure, maybe at some point, there was something with Nathan, but I don't have any kind of proof, it was probably more a one-sided situation and Rachel took advantage of it. Nathan said that Rachel was only with Frank to get free hits, and he might have been right or maybe that was the envy talking".

"Nathan... another notch in the gun".

"I said I have no proof and most likely it wasn´t like that".

"Know what?" Chloe added after considering it for a few seconds " maybe we make a list of the people Rachel hadn't slept with behind my back, we'd end up sooner".

"Oh come on, you're clearly exaggerating".

"Exaggerating?" Chloe replied outraged "Two bodies in his closet already, who knows what we would find with a detailed investigation, she probably slept with half Arcadia Bay".

"It could be worse, Arcadia Bay is not New York".

...

...

...

"I think I heard you wrong, did you just said _it could be worse, Arcadia Bay is not New York_?".

Max dared to turn only slightly and found Chloe staring at her with a frown. "I did" she said in a thin voice.

"That's honestly the best you´ve come up with to comfort me?".

"Uhhh...yes? maybe?" she replied this time almost inaudibly

After a few moments of tense uncertainty (for Max) Chloe burst out laughing "those were the worst comfort words ever " she said when she was able to speak again "you are so hella unbelievable".

Chloe kept laughing and Max decided to concentrate on driving exchanging just a few more words until reaching their destination.

* * *

"I need to go to the first period which is photography and then I'll take the day off, I rather spend time with you, it´s been that kind of day" Max said as she killed the engine.

"I don't want to be a nuisance to your academic duties".

"It´s OK, I have perfect attendance, I can afford it".

"In that case, thank you" Chloe shrugged her shoulders, embarrassed "I appreciate it, I don't really feel like being alone today".

"Anything for you".

As they went crossed the courtyard, Chloe turned to Max "You know, my truck is very difficult to drive, it´s old and shaky but you drove like a champ, I had no idea you drove so smoothly".

"I don't know... it's not like I was trying to impress you with my driving skills or anything". **(3)**

"You have to correct a bad habit, though, I have noticed that you make a weird gesture, you remove your right hand from the steering wheel and raise it in a strange way, that's not entirely safe".

"I have no clue what you're talking about" said Max moving a couple of steps ahead in order to hide her blush. "Hurry up, I'll be late for my only period".

 **Author notes**

 **(1)** Technically not a lie.

 **(2)** White lie.

 **(3)** Blatant lie.


	9. Sun Tzu

**Chapter 9: Sun Tzu.**

 **Courtney:** Got your stash.

 **Max:** Come on, it's just body care.

 **Courtney:** Still not sure where this sudden interest comes from.

 **Max:** Don't know what you're talking about, but thanks.

 **Courtney:** I'm pretty sure you're not telling me the whole story.

 **Courtney:** Don't wanna be annoying anyway.

 **Courtney:** Meet me in the hall, I'm working on the guest list for the next Vortex party.

 **Max:** See you there. Thanks again.

Max got up from the couch, pocketing her cell phone and addressed her friend "I have to run a couple of errands, then I'll come back for Kate, you'll be okay?".

"Don't worry about me" she replied without much confidence.

"It's been a tough morning for you, I'll be back ASAP".

Chloe looked at her from the bed. Upon entering the room and seeing that Max chose the couch, she decided not to sit next to her. A tough morning was a gigantic understatement for what she had been through and Chloe was trying hard to keep it together in front of her friend. She felt humiliated enough to fall into an epic meltdown in Max's arms, a little distance seemed like a clever choice to try and maintain dignity.

"Wait," she said as she got up and took a couple of steps towards Max "Thank you". Before she could respond she gave her a quick peck on the cheek and returned to sit down on the bed "come back after the first period, please" she said in a pained voice.

With a half smile, Max answered "I will. Don't snoop around in my room too much, I've got a lot of secrets" and walked out to the hallway mumbling to herself "it's not like I want to be a minute apart from you".

Without engaging in anything or anyone, Max crossed the courtyard at a brisk pace. Before crossing the threshold of the main building, she stopped, hesitating about her first destination. After a brief pause she took out her notebook and cellphone and spent a couple of minutes checking online and taking notes. With a grunt of satisfaction she put everything back in the tote bag and went in.

She headed straight to the lab taking special care in avoiding the principal and Mr. Madsen. Max had a definite goal that morning and could only indulge in a small distraction. At this point including more variables in the equation was dangerous, and either of the two encounters could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Sitting in his workstation, desperate, Warren was singing a recognizable song.

"Think, big brain, think..."

"This can't be that hard..."

"Yes, I am a scientist. Fuck..."

"Hey, Warren" Max interrupted.

As if suddenly the sun had come out after a six-month polar night, Warren lit up "Maxwell Silver Hammer! Perfect timing! I need help with this chemical experiment".

"Um, lemme see" Max leaned over the work station and looked at his notes with a seemingly interest "I've been already over this... I remember it was a difficult one" pulling out her notebook she leaned over Warren and began to speak pretending great concentration "write it down: Iodine AMericium...ChLorine Oxygen EinSteinium... and LAntanum DYsprosium... I think that's all".

Warren dropped the pencil and looked up, discouraged. His brain gears spun almost audibly, Max had never proved especially good at chemistry and he had asked her more out of desperation (and an obvious romantic interest) than hoping to get a correct answer. In a heartbeat he knew the answer was wrong, the problem was that her answer was an absolute nonsense. Some of the elements she named, probably (and only probably) did occur naturally on Earth, but only in incredibly tiny amounts and surely they were not available at an Oregon Academy specialized in art, for bratty teenagers to experiment with.

Warren didn't want to patronize her or hurt her feelings (more like burying his options of hooking up with her) so he tried to be as smooth as possible "I'm not saying it's a bad answer, but I don't think it's correct. I don't have so many materials available, it should be something simpler".

"Let's see" Max leaned back over his notes, taking her sweet time repeating them again carefully and in loud voice "you're right," she said after a while "I would go with potassium or lots of potassium".

"What does it depend on?".

"In how big you want the explosion to be, you can also try Chlorine though, the experiment will work out fine, but it's gonna be a lot duller".

This last performance was not strictly necessary but Max felt the need to let him know, in Warren's own terms, that he didn't have a chance. After making it clear to him, he still tried to flirt with her in front of Chloe, nothing less, and that deserved a slight wake-up call. Not that she sought revenge or was angry with him, Warren was a good guy, but sometimes he was unable to take a hint.

With the job done, Max left the lab.

Classy.

"What exactly are you doing here?" Max asked as she approached the table where Courtney was sitting among a bunch of checklists and flyers.

"I have to come up with a guest list for a Vortex Club soiree, I have to decide who gets invited and who doesn't" She replied emotionless.

"And you have to set up a stall in the middle of the hall for that? I mean, everybody knows who to turn to regarding Vortex stuff, right?".

"It's more complicated than that, the party itself is about half the work" Courtney added with much annoyance "there is a lot of politics involved, stuff like who's on the good side of Victoria and Nathan and who's not ... is very complicated, actually I think it's too complicated".

"You don't seem too excited about it".

"Don't get me wrong, I like this. I like managing and see how things turn out fine, but with what's going on between Victoria, Taylor, and I... it makes you think about what we are doing...last week I wouldn't have thought so, now? I can see me growing tired of this...don't tell anyone, but I'd be happy to skip this week's party".

"I don't want to be doomsday-ish, but yesterday's snow?, if everything happens according to the message, I don't think there will be a party on Thursday".

"Wow, I don't know if I should feel relieved or concerned".

With a hand gesture, Max tried to minimize the issue "anyway we'll have time to worry later... so, you've heard something from Victoria and Taylor?".

Courtney's face suddenly lighted up "sure I did" it was obvious that was an issue she was very concerned about "Taylor's been texting me on and off, Victoria and her, they've been talking, it's just Victoria, you know, it's hard but I think...I think things are gonna change between us".

"I hope so".

"Max, there's one thing..." Courtney began to say with concern.

"I know, it's none of my business". Max interrupted her aware that the three girls were used to mess with everyone, but no one dared to pry into their relationship. Max was surely the person who had intruded the most in their inner circle, maybe Courtney and even Taylor could tolerate that, but there was no way Victoria was going to overlook that transgression without standing up against her. Confronting Victoria was the complete opposite of what Max had been pursuing, therefore discretion was the right course of action.

Courtney put her hand over Max's in a warm gesture that surprised her "Thank you, I appreciate that". Suddenly her face shifted its expression and she turned to a much lighter tone dragging a bag that was at her feet "such a chatterbox, we're gonna forget why you came".

"Oh my, just how much did you buy?" Max took a peek at the bulky paper bag she was handing her. Inside there were all sorts of products in large quantities, in addition to the regular ones, or at least the ones she easily recognized, there were all sorts of other stuff (apparently foot masks were a thing) and many travel size packages. That was a lot more than she expected and she mentally waved goodbye to her birthday gift certificate.

"The one I gave you? I bought you the entire collection, and I thought about getting some other stuff too, and also travel sizes of some of my other favorite fragrances, so you can try and find the one you like the most".

"Wow Courtney, thank you very much, how much do I owe you?".

"It's a gift."

"Excuse me?" Max replied pretty sure that she hadn't heard right "There must be a small fortune here, you can't just give it to me".

"I can and I'm doing it. I had some vouchers and I couldn't think of a better way to use them, for the rest, let's say I consider it well-spent money" Courtney stood up and with obvious effort, she lifted the bag to the table "now go away, I have to double check a couple of lists before first period starts and I have only 20 minutes left".

"I guess thanks a lot is all I can say" Max answered grabbing the bag with both hands "by the way, I really like your shirt, it's a Marinière, isn't it?".

"You know Max" Courtney said while staring at her "you're a full box of surprises, I was very wrong about you... I think we all were".

* * *

"I'm coming" Chloe removed her earbuds and walked to the door to see who was knocking. The door opened to reveal Kate in a much improved shape than a few hours before. Dressed too austerely (but oddly fitting) with her hair neatly arranged in a bun and displaying a calmer appearance. She looked nice.

She stood still at first when she found it was Chloe who answered the door but immediately agreed to enter when she prompted her to come in with a nod.

"What are you doing here by yourself?" Kate asked.

"Max had some stuff to do before first period, she said she'd come back for you, feel free to stay and wait for her here".

"You are staying here all day? you're not going home?".

Chloe just nodded, almost embarrassed. She was downcast, quite unlike the attitude she had shown earlier. Something must have happened and Kate just hoped it wasn't something between her two friends.

"Everything's fine between you and Max?".

"Oh yeah, Max... she's my main support now, she's being awesome, I mean, she's always been, but now even more".

"But something's wrong," Kate said firmly.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about it... don't take it personally ... let's say that I don't feel like being alone and Max has offered to skip all classes after first period to keep me company" Chloe looked down shamefully, but in an unexpected gesture Kate took her chin and raised her head with an exquisite delicacy.

"Hey, there's no need to be ashamed, I didn't feel like being alone today either. Look, what you've done before, joining Max to comfort me even though I was a perfect stranger, that meant a lot to me. You don't have to tell me anything, and if you do it, it has to be on your own terms, but you must know that I will always be there for you".

Chloe muttered a sincere appreciation and dropped heavily into bed.

"That bad?" Kate asked although somehow it didn't sound like a question at all.

"Hella bad, I'm so screwed I think I'd even give it a go to one of your fancy teas just to keep my mind occupied".

Kate laughed at his witticism and her laughter was just as sweet as she was. She was truly someone very unique and with a twinge of jealousy in her stomach Chloe immediately understood why Max appreciated her so much. Trying to push that thought away from her mind, Chloe continued with a friendly exchange with Kate. Not much else in her current mood, but that, she could do.

And that's how Max found them as she walked back into her room, her two friends chatting peacefully. With a smile on her face and substantially happier inside, she closed the door behind herself and dropped the heavy bag on the floor next to the bed. Chloe took a quick glance at the bag and of course, couldn't help but question what it was.

"It's just toiletries".

"Where did you get them ?" Chloe asked curiously because as far as she knew, there weren't body care products for sale in Blackwell.

"Courtney drove town this morning and I asked her to buy some for me".

"Who's Courtney" She asked too abruptly. Chloe felt another pang of jealousy and internally cursed for it. She had always enjoyed Max's full attention but now it was a new game for her. Max had other friends, people as amazing and caring as Kate was and she feared for losing her privileged position. It was only two days since she had met Max again, thinking she would never do, and she was already trying to capitalize on all her attention. Maybe Frank was right, maybe she was just a toxic human being that fed on other's feelings.

"Oh, she's a classmate" Max replied trying not to make too much of it.

Among many other clubs covering different interests, there was an abstinence club in Blackwell. Up to that day , October 8, 2013, three different meetings had been held and the attendance had been extraordinarily consistent. Zero, zero and zero, that is, besides its host, Kate Beverly Marsh. Understandably enough she had no experience in intimate relationships. What was perhaps not so obvious was that she had no experience in any kind of relationship, intimate or otherwise as she had never had a boyfriend. It might therefore be thought that she was oblivious to some specific kind of interactions, but that would have been an erroneous assumption. Because Kate was an extremely empathic person, who was used to listen and observe before speaking, and she wasn't stupid at all. All of this made her someone with a very distinct ability to realize certain details.

Don't let her extreme discretion mislead you.

Kate had followed the brief exchange between the other two girls from the couch, aware of every glance, every inflection of their voices, and the fact that Max had bought a bag of XXXL personal hygiene products when Kate certainly knew all she had been using was generic stuff.

Just before Chloe answered and seeing how Max had also tried to downplay her inquiries, she decided to interrupt "I'll be right back, and Max, hurry up or we'll be late". Kate stood up and quickly left the room leaving the other two girls not really knowing what to do.

A couple of minutes later, Max had already emptied the bag, not without first letting Chloe smell several of the products (just for science and absolutely not to check if there was one she liked better) and she was ready to class when Kate re-entered the room holding Alice in one hand.

"Here, take care of her while we are in class, both of you could use the company," she said, handing the bunny to Chloe.

"Thank you" Chloe managed to say while she busied herself petting Alice.

"Two conditions, though" added Kate seriously "rabbits have a tendency to make those cute little poops, still, it's poop, here you have wet wipes to clean it, I don't want Max to get mad at me". Kate rummaged through her bag and provided her a packet of wipes before pointing accusatorily at her "and second and most important condition, under no circumstances may you dye Alice". "Kate immediately gave a brief hug to Chloe and left the room dragging Max by the arm "see you later".

It took Chloe a couple of seconds to react and when she opened her mouth she was already alone in the room "That was fucking cool Kate" she said to herself before concentrating on scratching Alice's ears "look who we have here" she said in a mellow voice.

* * *

Bla Bla Bla Bla, this technique, Bla Bla Bla, famous quotes taken from the Wikipedia of photography, Bla Bla Bla Bla, me.

Mark Jefferson was insufferable. Leaving aside that he was a teen abuser, a perv and a murderer (and let's assume that's a lot to put aside) once the first dazzle had long vanished, there was nothing about him that was minimally attractive. Max was chastising herself about how she could have been so excited to be taught by him. Granted he wasn't the main reason for returning to Arcadia Bay, but to attend classes with someone you admired (puke) and who had even been your idol at some point in your life (double puke) was a welcomed bonus.

A whole hour of ego trip disguised as a class, a few drops of information about photography here and there as a mere excuse to talk about the only subject he was interested in, the very concept of Mark Jefferson himself. A couple of times Max had been the target of his questioning and twice she had answered correctly, without _special_ help, in the most neutral and dispassionate tone she managed. For her next trick Max needed to be as calm and relaxed as possible, so she tried to spend the class focusing on what Jefferson was saying and not what he really meant. After all, photography was the second most important thing for her.

The class at last, came to an end. Max got up and said goodbye to Kate, letting her know that she had to turn in her entry to the photography contest. She clenched her fists trying to disguise the tremor of her hands, ignored the shudder in her stomach and headed resolutely towards Mr. Jefferson.

"Mr. Jefferson?".

"Oh Max, what a pleasant surprise for you to come and talk to me, you usually run away from class as soon as the doorbell rings, are you afraid of me?".

 _You are the one who should be afraid of me._

"No, nothing like that, I just usually have nothing to say".

"Max, Max, Max" he replied in a patronizing tone "I'm sure you have plenty to say, but it seems you're the kind of artist who rather let her work do the talking".

"I guess that's true, and that's a very appropriate statement because, actually, that's the reason I'm here "Max reached into her bag taking out a carefully sealed envelope and handed it to Mr. Jefferson.

"Is this your entry to the contest? I thought you weren't turning anything in, it would have been a real shame".

"I didn't have a single picture worthwhile until yesterday, then I took this one and I knew it had to be my entry" Max replied confidently.

"Well, now you've spiked my curiosity. So far everything I've seen of yours is very promising, I would love to see what a talented photographer as you are consider really worthwhile".

"I don't think I'm talented" she said with a thread of voice.

Jefferson removed the photo from the envelope with the utmost care (this is the only positive thing we can say about him) and inspected it closely for a long time, making small gestures of approval.

It's funny how easy it was for Max to read him now. He was like an open book for her, admiration and honest amazement about the quality of the picture. False modesty aside, the photo was extraordinary, undoubtedly the best Max had done so far and judging from the professor's expression that was his exact opinion. Not only the contest winner without any kind of doubt, much more than that, a piece of art showing real talent, the kind you either have or don't, but cannot be learnt. At the same time a deep disappointment and disgust for the model used _I had enough of those faux-punk sluts in my Seattle days_ were his words the week before talking about Chloe.

Max knew exactly what was going on in his head, and unfortunately for him, it all had been predicted in advance.

"Wow, Max", said Mr. Jefferson with sincere admiration "this picture is the best I've seen in a long time... and I'm not talking since I've been teaching... it's really incredible...the framing, the light reflecting on the snowflakes, everything is just so...congratulations".

"Thank you" Max replied humbly.

"I do have one doubt about the picture, without diminishing its value, of course".

 _Here we go._

"The subject was everyday hero's... the quality of the photo is beyond any question, but I don't understand what this girl has to do with the subject of the contest, I don't see heroism anywhere". The slight inflection in his voice when he said _this_ _girl_ , denoting a deep disdain, did not go unnoticed by Max.

"I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a hero" Max made a small pause hugging her tote bag towards her body "I guess it has a lot to do with self-sacrifice, doing something for others without expecting anything in return, that I believe is being a hero. Firefighters, volunteers, anonymous people who have sacrificed themselves for their neighbors. That's the idea that comes to mind, but I tried to go beyond that, consider what it really means to be a hero and maybe it is more complicated than that...maybe it's making that same sacrifice without expecting anything in return, but doing it for people who doesn't care about you, for people who would never do it for you, and doing it in a way that no one will ever know what you did to keep them safe. Sacrifice yourself when no one else would do it if they were in your place just because it's the right thing to do...that is for me a true hero".

"Well" Mr. Jefferson replied a little stunned by the unexpected reply, "that's very insightful, but I still don't see what it has to do with the model you've used".

"I grew up in Arcadia Bay, I moved to Seattle just 5 years ago. That girl, her name is Chloe Elizabeth Price, she was my best friend, my only friend. I had to move during a really tough time for her, we lost contact but we never stopped thinking about each other. Together we have gone through very difficult times, particularly her...I have witnessed her under extraordinary circumstances, and to me, she defines what it means to be a hero. Everyday".

"That is a very moving story indeed, I have to say you are quite the unlikely couple, no one would imagine that you have such a bond", Mr. Jefferson said with a slight, almost imperceptible contempt. The real implication behind his words was crystal clear to Max, Chloe was punk trash, unworthy of his attention and her presence only meant to threaten Max's innocence, an innocence he intended to snatch from her.

Max grinned proudly to herself.

He was acting as she had anticipated from the very beginning. Mr. Jefferson always thought he was smarter, always one step ahead of the rest. He was not. He thought he was going to win his little game with Max, but he didn't realise he was defeated before the game even started.

"I never had any friends later on like the one I had when I was 12, Jesus, did you Mr. Jefferson?".

"I'm sorry to say I was more or a lone wolf in my younger years Max, always focused on photography".

 _What a fucking poser, quoting John Lennon and not acknowledging the truly outstanding quotes from your generation. Mr. Jeffershit with his hipster beard, his hipster glasses and his hipster little game of_ I'm too old for you but all I'm really trying is to get into your panties _. A lone wolf? fucking son of a bitch. There is this elegant aura in wolves, with their silvery skin and defiant look, wolves are social animals, they live in packs and protect each other. Lone wolves are an exception and it never happens by choice. You have nothing to do with wolves, there is nothing elegant about you. You are a disgusting monster, an aberration, you are what remains of Dorian Gray when his portrait is destroyed._

"There's something else I'd like to tell you, it's about what you said in class yesterday", Max said with feigned innocence.

"What exactly was it, you will have to forgive me but this old man talks too much and doesn't remember everything he says".

 _Oh my God, how pathetic can you be?_

"It's about this thing you said... about framing any of us in a dark corner in a moment of desperation and how we could also do that to you easily".

"That... I remember" Jefferson answered arcing his eyebrow in anticipation of a defensive move.

"I do not quite understand what you meant, I suppose it was a metaphor... I don't really pretend to understand everything you say, but when I moved to Seattle I went through bad times myself and I think it could be considered my moment of desperation. So maybe you were referring to something similar, a tough time you've been through, but when you said that we could also capture you...I don't know, it seemed to me that maybe we had both gone through bad times, and well...I'm a little embarrassed to confess it openly, but you are one of my photography heroes, I mean...UGH... I don't know...".

"Obviously it was a metaphor, but please go on, Max. I'm your teacher, I'm here to help you, you can tell me whatever you want and it will remain between the two of us".

"Thank you," said Max bowing her head shyly.

"It's stupid, really it's nothing, but I just wanted to tell you that, if at any time, you find yourself in a moment of desperation, defeated and lost, I wouldn't capture you. I wouldn't do that to you, I care a lot about photography, but I care a lot more about people... and you".

A satisfying grin was drawn on Mr. Jefferson's face, and Max could picture him for what he really was, a hungry beast with drooling fangs "so, you care about me...as a teacher".

"Of course I do," Max said enthusiastically "you were the main reason for attending Blackwell, is a unique opportunity, almost a dream to get one of your heroes to teach and help you".

"Thank you, Max, I honestly appreciate it, sometimes the best compliments come from the most unsuspected places...and speaking about more interesting matters than this almost retired photographer, on Thursday I will announce the winner of the contest... although I hope you know how to keep a secret, because after your entry there is really no contest. The exhibition will help you kickstart your career and I want you to know that I will provide all the help I possibly can".

"Thank you very much, Mr. Jefferson... I don't know what to say".

"And if you want we could work on something together".

 _You are a fucking monster._

 _You abused those girls, you took pictures of them while they were dosed and who knows what else._

 _You tortured me and abused me._

 _Maybe society may forgive after you_ _served your sentence._

 _But I won't._

 _I know myself, I know what matters the most to me, and I know what's the only reason I'm doing this._

 _You killed Chloe in cold blood._

 _There is no mercy for you._

 _I know myself and certainly I know you **(1)**._

 _You are so fucking going down, Mr. Jefferson._

"I would love to, there's nothing else that would make me happier than working on a project together".

"It's decided then, we'll talk the details on the trip to San Francisco". A hyena smile appeared on his face, he could deceive everyone, but not Max. In that smile there was no kindness, only vice and perversion, that was the smile of a sick and disturbed mind.

 _You hurt Chloe._

 _I'm building your own private hell._

 _And you will burn in it, motherfucker._

"I can't wait for it to come". Max replied cheerfully with a broad smile in her face.

 **Author notes.**

 **(1)** It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle. (Sun Tzu, The Art of War, chapter III). Actually this is one of many diverse translations you can find around.


	10. Lalaland

**Chapter 10 Lalaland (1)**

"Hey".

"Hey".

This poor exchange was all the greeting that the two girls (each of whom was literally dying to see the other) offered when Max walked through her door room still troubled from the encounter with Mr. Jefferson.

They all had their own reasons for doing so, let's take a look at them.

Max's motives were that on entering, she found her friend with a blank stare, caressing Alice mechanically. She could have returned Alice to her home (cage seemed too pejorative a term for sweet Alice) and surely Chloe would have continued with an identical movement, caressing the empty space where the bunny had been. When she heard the door, she had turned her head in a slow manner and had offered a faint smile tinged with infinite sadness. Chloe was, without a doubt, still digesting the harshness of a self-refusing reality.

So just hey.

In Chloe's case, it was both simpler and much more complicated. She was ashamed.

Her life away from Max had turned out to be a prolonged lie. Frank's words had hurt her deeply. Knowing what Rachel and him thought about her was heartbreaking, perhaps even as much as the betrayal itself. She felt like a loser, and even worse, humiliated in front of her friend. Max had been thinking about her all these years. After her first words when they met again, after confessing that she had returned to Arcadia Bay just for her, the only thing Chloe could offer in return was a few wasted years chasing after a girl who didn't reciprocate her feelings.

Shameful.

So, also, just hey.

The uncomfortable moment lasted exactly that, a moment, and not because Max manipulated time or any other amazing trick, she simply used the powers of best friendship (and more than that, much more, but we are leaving it there for now) immediately after the two sad _heys_ , Max left her bag on the floor, removed her trusty Chuck Taylors, sat on the bed, and hugged Chloe.

"Shit," said a teary-eyed Chloe after surrendering for a while in her friend's embrace.

"What's the matter?" Max said with concern, separating from her.

"It was descriptive, I feel like shit".

"I can see that". Max caressed her friend's cheek, wiping the tears with tenderness, "don't worry, we'll get through this together".

"You gotta think I'm pathetic".

"That's the second time you've asked me already, I answered before. I don't and I won't, ever. Don't insist".

"It's just..., this is so fucked up, I'm not the emotional type, I don't cry".

"It's okay to cry, I won't think less of you".

"Gee, thanks for the backup" Chloe replied with a nasal voice.

"You're right though, I really don't remember you crying too much growing up".

"See what I'm saying? now this shit happens and look at me".

"Don't sweat it, we all have our hard times, the important thing is that I'm here and you're not alone anymore".

Chloe cast a sincere appreciative glance at her friend and that's all she allowed herself before she tried to regain her grip "you know this isn't me, I'm a Punk at heart".

"Yea, you definitely are".

"A tough chick who overcomes every shit life throws at her" a confident Chloe added.

"That's right".

"And bad ass, I'm a real bad ass, the Puck Princess of Arcadia Bay" added Chloe who was definitely raising her spirits.

"A real force of nature," Max said condescendingly, "and you know what? If you were to tell me so without caressing a white bunny, I'd even be able to buy it".

Chloe froze. She slowly looked down and realized that she was gently stroking Alice. With her eyes wide open she looked up at her friend. "Fuck you, Caulfield".

"Me?" replied an amused Max "you were the one playing Mr. tough guy while petting a bunny, you should have seen yourself, that..." Max continued trying to suppress the laughter "that was the least bad ass performance ever".

Chloe joined in the giggles. For a short time, there was nothing but two old friends laughing without further concern.

Crisis averted.

After a while, more at ease, Chloe reverted to the topic of the day "What do you make of Rachel? of all this in general?".

Max made a small grimace, deep in thought "well, I would lie to you if I said I haven't thought about it, so I guess it's only fair that you ask me...in her defense, I reckon Rachel was- _is_ " she immediately corrected herself hoping her slip would go unnoticed "a complex person".

"Are you going to defend her again?" an annoyed Chloe interrupted. Luckily she had focused her attention on that and not on a more revealing circumstance.

"That's not it...I don't think it's that easy either".

"Oh, enlighten me then, and please, try to put aside the fact of what you did when you moved. We've already covered that and now the issue is a hella different one".

"OK" Max replied not too confident "And since you're mentioning it, no, I don't approve at all what she did to you. I guess...I guess she's a complicated girl, maybe she doesn't even know what she really wants or maybe she just wants it all. She wants to be friends with you, knowing how you feel about her and at the same time hook up with Frank, and then with Jefferson, leave Arcadia Bay with you and make plans with everyone else about leaving. I haven't met her, and by all means, I might be wrong, my take from what I found out about her is... I believe Rachel has many different faces and I 'm firmly convinced that at least one of those faces sincerely cares about you and never meant to hurt you, but it is in her true nature to be like that, maybe she can't even help it".

Chloe spent the next few moments in silence, pondering over her friend's words, trying to find a meager consolation in what Max was offering her. Strangely, between the bitterness and the pain, she could discern a thread of hope, a thread that unfailingly guided her to the only place where she had always felt safe.

Unfortunately, their lives were so different now and their paths had to split.

"You know what hurts me the most?... I never had a real chance, there was no Lalaland in the horizon for me".

"Lalaland?".

"I never had a feasible way out of the Bay, Rachel never really intended to bail with me to LA, I don't think I was even close... I guess I should've seen it coming". Chloe sighed while remaining calm, trying to assume defeat with dignity "at least now you're here and we're friends again, it'll be great until you finish at Blackwell".

Max stood up and narrowed her eyes, staring intently at her friend. She longed with all her might to confess the events of the previous week, but for her friend's own sake, she could not. Chloe was also a particularly complex person and her reactions were often unexpected, the preceding week she had shut herself up when she discovered the truth (and not all of it) about Rachel and that had led to unintended situations. This time she couldn't afford any risks. Things were running smoothly, Max had been very sincere about the real reasons for her coming back to Arcadia Bay, and at the same time, she was gradually feeding her the rest of the information in order to assimilate it. Max hated every second she hid information from her. She felt guilty, a liar, and continually had to recite her personal mantra to convince herself it was the only way.

 _Chloe comes first._

This one? this, she could tell her. Max's approach was aimed primarily at protecting her, and an essential part of that involved making her feel safe and loved, even though Max couldn't tell her yet exactly how much she meant to her.

 _I'm coming for you, Chloe_.

"No," Max said categorically, "that's not what I'm aiming for, I told you I came back for you, I told you I wasn't risking losing you again".

"What do you mean," Chloe replied in surprise, "Don't you wanna go to college?".

"Of course I want to, I've always wanted to study photography... I also want us to stay close".

"I don't understand, you are only in Blackwell for senior year then you'll leave".

"Yes, and I want you to come with me... you and me together against the world, the way it has always meant to be".

Just like that, without any further embellishments.

Only Max's unrelenting will to never be separated from her friend again.

"I... I don't know," Chloe stuttered, "you've thought where you're going? you've made any plans?".

"Not yet. I have several options for colleges with good photography programs, but that's something I wanted us to decide together".

Chloe stared at Max, her face glowing with hope, and for a split second, everything was perfect. Sadly as soon as it arrived, it was gone. Like the sales chart of a bad video game, her mood dropped in real time and she sunk her gaze into her lap. "I can't... it's not gonna work".

"What's not going to work?".

Without looking up, Chloe replied in pain "Me, us, everything ... I don't have a job or a fucking future, you're going to achieve whatever you set out to do...us? it won't work".

"What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense, it's Max and Chloe again, as it has always been".

"But it does, of course it does. I'm not the girl from your childhood memories anymore, I'm a total mess, what am I going to do with you? I'm useless".

"Chloe, don't," Max said in a threatening tone.

"That's all I can offer you, the fucking truth, you're going to go out into the world, everyone will love your pictures and when they get to know you, everyone will love you. You are going to meet amazing people, much more than I will ever dream to be...listen, I don't want to be a nuisance".

"That's never going to happen," Max replied, increasingly losing patience.

"Don't try to fool yourself, that's what's gonna happen and you know it. Wherever we go, I'll found myself alone . Come on, look at me, I haven't made any friends since you left, just one and you've seen how it ended, I'll cling to you, like I did with Rachel... you heard Frank, I'm a toxic person, I'm going to suffocate you, you deserve better".

"Don't you dare say that... please stop right there". Max slowly said, she clenched her teeth feeling the rage growing inside her.

"Let it go, it's a stupid idea..." she began to answer hurriedly.

Max was no longer listening to the endless string of self-hatred that was coming out of Chloe's mouth. Frank's words had hurt her a lot more than Max expected and she was descending in a dangerous spiral. Chloe was extremely insecure, last week had been a faithful testimony to that, but not to this extent. Instead of anger, she was experiencing sorrow and depression, according to the five steps this was a more advanced state towards acceptance, in any case, Max couldn't stomach it. An angry Chloe was something that fell within the limits of business as usual, but it broke her heart to see her this way. She couldn't tolerate it.

"...I never know when I am overstaying my welcome, the girl with no prospect dragging you down that's me, the memories of our childhood are just that, memories, I'm no longer..."

...

...

"OUCH

...

"WHATTHEFUCK!

You punched me," Chloe said, staring in surprise at the red spot that was appearing on her shoulder "you punched me hard".

"Yea, I did and I wish I was stronger so I could have punched you harder" a very angered Max replied as she shook her hand, flexing her fingers (she had hit Chloe really hard and in the process, she had hurt herself too).

"What's wrong with you, dude?".

"Me? What's wrong with _you_? What's all this self-loathing shit, just drop it at once".

"Max, you know I'm right, I hella appreciate you bothering about my sorry ass, but it's been five years since you left...".

"ENOUGH WITH THAT, FOR FUCK'S SAKE" Max bolted out of bed and circled around the room a couple of times like a caged lion trying to control her anger. With her fists still clenched and her jaw in tension she turned to Chloe tuning down her voice to avoid putting on a show in the dorms "I'm your friend and I'm willing to cope with all your drama... your nonsense, your anger, your mood swings, whatever. I've always done it since we were little kids, but there is this one thing I can't accept...This act you are putting on, humiliating yourself in this way in front of me? this self-hatred? hell no".

"Many things have changed..." Chloe insisted albeit a bit cowed by her friend's rage display.

"HOLY FUCK, AGAIN? Max was steaming through her ears, she walked away from the bed kicking a sneaker that was in her way. The sneaker landed behind her desk violently and Chloe realized that perhaps it was wiser to remain silent.

"LOOK AT ME" Max yelled at her friend as she came back to her side "get this into that big fucking head of yours" she said while poking Chloe's head with her index finger harder than it would be convenient "nobody, I repeat, nobody knows you better than me and you're not like that. I don't care what Frank says, I don't care what anyone else says because no one knows you as I do, you are an amazing person, so full of life. You are the best friend someone could have, you are the best friend I could have dreamed of and for sure you are the best friend I will ever have, so fuck the _I've changed_ , fuck the _many things have happened_ and absolutely fuck the _five fucking years_ , you don't fool me, you're the same girl I left back in Arcadia Bay, the same girl I've missed so much".

"Max..." Chloe tried to interrupt in a pleading tone.

"WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP, I'm not even close to finishing... I've seen you in your lowest moments and I've seen you in your noblest moment, you're the most incredible person I've ever had the good fortune to meet, you're selfless and you'd do anything for the people you love, and, if that's what it takes, even for the people you don't love or don't love you..." Max made a short pause, not because she had said it all, but because she was out of breath. In fact, since she was already at it, why not push the issue further and confess parts that she was keeping for later days not to overwhelm Chloe? Given her previous reaction to her offer, better release it and hope for her to realize what it really was. A true sneak peek at how important she was to her.

"... Of course I want to go to college, fuck it, discover a new city, travel, meet people, it's an adventure... I've always wanted my life to be special, an adventure, but not without you. Okay, let's do this" Max said speaking more to herself than to Chloe "let's talk about Seattle, the magic city I went to live in... the fucking Space Needle...there I was, with my parents, as soon as they could drag me out of the house. You wanna know what was in my mind the whole time? _Chloe would have loved this,_ and so on... the Starbucks at Pikes place? that was the first place we went, I wasn't drinking coffee yet although you're a year older, so _Will Chloe drink coffee already? which one will she like? She'll drink frappuccinos?_ The fucking Original Starbucks... I don't know why your memory was so strongly anchored to that place, maybe just because it was the first place I went...I've spent years going there by myself, none of my acquaintances wanted to go because it's a tourist trap, years thinking about what kind of coffee you'd drink... fuck it and then it was the simplest stuff. Black, no sugar..."

A small grimace of surprise appeared on her face. Chloe decided to drop it for the moment, even though in no way did the comment about the coffee went unnoticed.

"And so every other place, all these years thinking continuously about how I'd like you to be there with me...it hurts so much me to see you like this. I know after I did I have to regain your trust, I know I don't deserve it yet, anyway those things you said? that I'm going to meet more interesting people? or that you will be a nuisance? I don't know what else I can give you for you to understand... it's so simple, without you I'm missing the critical piece, It's like... whatever it is, it's never gonna be complete if you're not there" Max continued without dropping the angry tone "Listen... it's up to you, of course, I want you to come with me, I want us to be together, but it's your call".

Being honest, Chloe had no idea what to answer.

Since her father died she had received nothing but bad news. In Rachel, she had found the angel who was going to save her from her mediocre life, the actual truth had been quite different and now, putting it in perspective, all the signs had actually been there from the very beginning even though Chloe had stubbornly refused to acknowledge them. Max had returned, and in two days she had entered her life, ravaging it like a tornado **(2).** The whole time they'd been apart Chloe had lived deceived and not by Rachel, but by herself, her friend had not abandoned her, she had not neglected her, quite the opposite. And she had not even suspected it.

Of course she wanted to leave with her, actually, the proposition was far beyond her wildest expectations. Chloe wanted no more than to close her eyes, stretch out her hand and let herself go. Was it the right move? Were Max's words sincere? Was her promise genuine? Maybe the whole thing was a simple infatuation of the joy of the reunion, or worse, of her guilt, and in no time the promises would be forgotten. It was her own sanity what was at stake, Chloe might never admit it, but she wouldn't recover from Max abandoning her again.

Chloe had a scientific brain, she was remarkably talented in discerning what was significant and what was not, and in this instance, it all came down to a very straightforward question.

Could she trust Max?.

She had already begun to do so. If this reunion turned out badly, even before leaving, the pain would probably be irreparable so while we're at it, in for a penny in for a pound, the whole enchilada, and whatnot.

"Yea, I'd like to" she admitted almost embarrassed "but please no more gratuitous violence in front of Alice".

"Gratuitous my ass" mumbled Max before answering with a hard tone and a smile from ear to ear "I have one requirement though. This thing you're doing? no job, no studies.. it's over now. You're much better than this shit and it's killing me having to see you like this. We have these apocalyptic messages, Friday comes and whatever the outcome, on Monday you are taking command of your life. I'd like you to continue your studies because you've always been brilliant, although as I said, it's up to you. All I'm asking is that you choose something you really want to do, something you enjoy and if you are forced to take shitty jobs to afford your dreams, just do it. I want you to have purpose, I want you to do stuff for yourself".

With a slight nod, Chloe replied to her friend, unable to verbalize her inner thoughts.

 _Little Maxine could add one more to her list of incomprehensible aptitudes. Apparently she is also a fucking psychic. All my fears, all my doubts, she has obliterated them at once with a single sentence. Not once Rachel tried to convince me about going back to school or finding a job, with her everything was booze and weed, parties and making out, she never thought about the future. Of course, fuck it, she never expected to share a future with me so why bother. And this girl in front of me? the one I've been trying to hate for five years? the first thing she asks me is to get my life in order. Like she cares for me, like she actually believes I can do better than this. Fucking Max, is good news, the best news, and this new side of her? bossy Max is hella hot, she... WAIT. NONONONONO ABORT! ABORT! ABORT! WTF Chloe? are you out of your fucking mind? Max has just come into your life and you already crushing hard on her? are you insane? she's your friend, just friends, end of story. She's giving you the chance of a lifetime and you're going to screw it. There's still the Rachel issue that you have to settle and for all you know Max may not be into girls (or into you for what is worth), this guy Warren decidedly wants to get into Max's panties and maybe he'll pull it off. You have to play it cool, you are her friend nothing else, stuff it in your head.  
_

"You're right, on Monday... listen...would you help me.. I'm not sure where to start?" was her pathetic answer.

"Of course I will" Max replied enthusiastically and her smile brightened up the whole room.

And Chloe's heart turned over. O _h crap, this is gonna be the best-worst thing that's ever happened to me._

In any case, that thought lasted only an instant, because Max jumped on her friend and embraced her as if the end of all wars depended on it. Chloe's brain tried to start another line of thought, the kind that brings nothing but trouble, and you know what? To hell with it. Chloe ignored her evil neurons and relaxed in Max's embrace (and in her pleasant aroma).

When they finally broke the hug, and it took a little longer than it would be expected between two _just_ friends, Chloe looked down again **.**

"What 's in your mind?" Max asked worriedly.

"Nothing, everything's fucking fine, it's better than it's been in years".

"Oh come on, Chloe".

"I don't want to ruin the mood, this is just fine".

"We talked about this, on the beach, remember?".

Chloe hesitated. She was right, after all if they were going to live together they had to have full confidence in each other "there's something that doesn't add up, you know a great deal about me, you may not have forgotten me, you may have thought about me all this time, but the truth is that you haven't been here, you haven't seen me in five years and you seem to know everything about me...black, no sugar? there's no way you could know that I just had a coffee in front of you and you didn't know what was in the cup, and this thing about seeing in my noblest moment? I don't see how...".

This time it was Max's turn to wonder, she scowled, evaluating her options before deciding. And no matter how much of a lie it may seem, the answer came almost immediately, because deep down she was hoping that Chloe would compel her to come up with the truth.

"Tonight".

"Uh?".

"You're right and I can't stress enough how much I hate not telling you the complete story. It's killing me inside, at this point I think it's no use having you in the dark anymore, so tonight".

"There's something special happening tonight?"

"Not really, but I was thinking maybe you could go home, later we could grab a bite and watch the eclipse".

"Eclipse? there is no eclipse tonight".

"Oh, I'll assure you is gonna be an eclipse, the message mentioned it, and I'm confident everything in this message will happen... and by the way, bring the keys to Blackwell, you know where David keeps them".

Chloe thought about asking how she could know with such certainty that there was going to be an eclipse or that David had Blackwell's keys and she knew where they were, but she decided against it. Instead, she focused on something she could actually grasp "I should leave then?".

"Oh no, please, it's too soon, I was thinking more like mid-afternoon. I just have a couple of errands to do, before and after that, it's Chloe time... in fact last night I didn't sleep very well and I suppose tonight will be a long one, so we could take a nap before lunch, what do you think?".

Max hadn't slept well, Chloe for her part, hadn't slept at all. After the emotional roller coaster, a nap seemed like the best of ideas.

"Amazing idea, I'll take the couch," Chloe replied.

"No way, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch".

"Come on Max it seems a real back-breaker".

"I'm not sleeping on the couch either".

It took Chloe a while to figure out what Max meant, and when she finally got it, she looked at her in surprise.

"What's the big deal? It'll be a sleepover, we've done lots of them, nothing's changed" Max said with ease.

Well, yes and no. It was the same as in they had shared a bed countless times, and it wasn't because now Chloe was fully aware what that strange sensation she noticed in her stomach when Max cuddled up to her meant.

 _Chloe Elizabeth Price, you better hang onto your hat._

"I'll take the wall side, then" Chloe replied as she took off her boots.

 **Author notes**

 **(1) The graffiti in the hideout, not the movie.**

 **(2) Wink Wink.**


	11. The healing game

**Chapter 11. The healing game.**

Four times already, but it surely looked like there wouldn't be a fifth in a row.

Since she had dropped Max off at downtown (a very generous term for the non-metropolis that Arcadia Bay was) Chloe had returned unsmoked cigarettes to the packet four times. The most curious aspect of the situation was that she had done it unconsciously and had only realized it now, sitting on the swing in her backyard, freshly out of the shower. Opportunely enough, she was still as skinny as ever, otherwise, her ass would not have fit on her old swing.

Not intending to explore the real meaning behind that gesture, she lit the cigarette, lift her legs and gently swung.

In an hour or so she was supposed to meet Max.

Before leaving for whatever errands she had to run, she had suggested having dinner somewhere near the pier noting that she had not yet been there since her return. Chloe informed her that, as with so many other matters in Arcadia, things had not improved since she left. Faced with Max's angry frown, she was forced to clarify that she meant the town's economic situation, not her life, and proceeded to expose how the Prescotts were wiping out all business in Arcadia Bay. Their long tentacles reached every corner of the Bay tainting the town with their greed, the maritime companies were acquired by one of their affiliates and subsequently closed down, all jobs lost. The wharf was no longer so full of life as she probably remembered from their childhood walks with William.

Naming her father elicited a weird reaction from Max, she froze and looked away. If Chloe didn't know better, she could have sworn that her response was one of sheer shame as if Max somehow blamed herself for William's death. After a short period of bewilderment, she recovered, insisting on grabbing some food somewhere in the harbor, her only argument being that _she had something to do there._ Chloe simply nodded.

Not that she had many options after all.

She showered and changed clothes without getting Max out of her head. For many reasons, admittedly, although mainly she was focused on the bizarre knowledge Max was displaying. Before she offered all the answers she had been holding back Chloe's mind had reviewed each and every plausible scenario to finally come to the only explanation that could account for everything.

Alien abduction.

On leaving Arcadia Bay, a UFO had abducted Max, taken her to their home planet and provided her with insight into what was happening during her absence before returning her to Earth. It might seem an insane idea at first, but under close inspection, one could only conclude that it covered all fronts.

Max's lack of contact? checked.

Unexplained information? surely. Involving some kind of alien technology but checked.

Not many details of her life in Seattle? checked.

Max's unbridled interest in recovering her best friend? leaving aside her own undeniable and irresistible punk appeal, checked.

Anal probes? not sure, but certainly discretion was highly advisable in that matter.

There was still the other option. That Max's story was just as she had told it. The move affected her a great deal, more than Chloe anticipated, she went through a very painful period, never stopped thinking about Chloe (although it seemed that this was a constant in both contexts) and she had returned to Arcadia Bay at the earliest chance to reunite with her. She had yet to explain the reason for her strange insight about Chloe's life, certainly she would probably provide a coherent explanation later that same night.

Chloe kept swinging, reflecting on the subject.

 _Nah, I'm sticking to alien abduction, it's hella cooler. Absolutely nothing can beat the fact that your best friend has been kidnapped by aliens._

Whatever the circumstances, Max had come back and gifted her the one thing nobody had been able to offer her.

Hope.

The future was no more a huge canvas on which to capture her failures and to her own amazement, she was foreseeing bright times ahead.

Spirals of smoke swirled back and forth following the swing motion.

Chloe smiled.

* * *

The first thing Max did after stopping by her room to drop off her purchases was to check on Kate. A brief stop for a quick exchange and Max turned to room 221.

Victoria opened the door and performed the following actions in rapid succession: gave her the once-over, swiftly changed her expression from disbelief to deep irritation, snorted, and tried to slam the door in her face. All this happened in a fraction of a second, but time was on Max's side. She stretched her arm and prevented her from closing the door.

"Not you again, " Victoria said through clenched teeth.

"Tori, let me in, let's not make a fuss".

Defeated again with the same trick, Victoria took a step back and let her into the room without trying to hide her anger.

Getting ahead of the situation, Max spoke at once as soon as the door closed behind her "I promise you, this is the last time I'm gonna repeat the same move".

"You better" Victoria replied without leaving the openly hostile tone.

"I feel filthy Tori, but there's no other way I could talk to you in private".

"I advised you never to use that name, only my friends are allowed to call me Tori".

"Oh, I'm aware of that".

"You are not..."

"You are mine, though" Max interrupted without letting her finish the sentence, with her it was invariably safer to play offense "I consider you my friend and I want you to consider me as one".

"Keep dreaming, that's never gonna happen" Victoria paused slightly in an attempt to contain herself, either way, her next words sounded decidedly like a threat "this nonsense of yours is no longer funny and it has to cease at once, I don't even care if you make a scene anymore".

"I told you I won't use that again, I just wanted to talk to you alone".

"You are warned for the last time, spit out whatever it is you've come to say and get the fuck out of my room and my life".

Max took a couple of steps to Victoria, still keeping a safe distance "I know why you came to my room yesterday, you wanted to ask me why I lied to Taylor".

"That's not..."

"I don't expect you to ever admit it, anyway, we both know it's the truth" Max interrupted again "You see, I don't want you hurting anyone like you've done to Kate but I don't want you to be hurt either".

"This is about Kate's video," Victoria said with relief, finally glimpsing some sense in the whole picture.

"No. You'll remove Kate's video yourself when the truth comes out. Fortunately for you, she's a better person than either of us and I'm confident she'll find a way to forgive you, I'm more worried about you finding a way to forgive yourself".

"I don't..."

"I remember perfectly what Taylor said, she actually said she was alone".

Victoria tensed up straightaway.

 _Touché._

A couple more steps, Max was right next to the other girl, she reached out her hand and placed it on Victoria's shoulder "I would have hurt me too... I know there is a nice girl under all your hostile crap, come on, try and be nice with the people around you".

Small gestures often mean a great deal, like for instance Victoria not forcefully pushing away Max's hand or the latter girl gently squeezing the former's shoulder.

Victoria remained motionless, staring at the other girl, slowly Max took her hand off her. By tacit agreement, both girls decided not to say anything and remained silent until a close conversation was heard on the other side of the door, followed by a couple of knocks "Tori are you in?". Without a word, Max moved away from Victoria, positioning herself closer to the door, at the same time leaving enough space for it to open up safely.

"I'm here, come on in". Victoria said without breaking eye contact with the other girl.

Taylor and Courtney were surprised to discover Max in her friend's room. Taylor directed a friendly smile, but to everyone else's surprise, Courtney approached and after casting an enigmatic gaze switching between them, gave her a half hug, half squeeze awkward salute.

"What are you doing here?" Courtney asked without a trace of malice in her voice.

"Mr. Jefferson handed me a message for Victoria, I heard music in her room so I crossed over to give it to her".

"Weird choice as I was also in class... no message for Taylor who also was absent?" she added with a mocking smile.

"No," Max replied after a slight moment of doubt "It was about a personal assignment".

Courtney gave her a mischievous eye, luckily for her, Taylor decided to intervene at that moment. "Max...I didn't really said much yesterday, but I wanted to thank you for asking about my mother".

"It's okay, I mean, I'm sure you already did being friends Victoria and Courtney, anyway it's important to know people care about you".

"Yeah, sure" Taylor replied without much conviction "Today was very nice and I want to thank you... even if you had nothing to do with it" she corrected herself immediately, turning her response into utter nonsense "Mum's fine, she was so happy that I visited".

Victoria looked at her two friends. The duo had ridiculed Max as much as she did, yet, they were clearly befriending her. More than that, in Courtney's case they seemed like good friends already. Max confused her, she had suddenly initiated an absurd crusade for unknown reasons and she was the subject of her efforts. Protect her, be friends with her and a whole series of nonsense. No matter what, the worst part was, she knew what she was doing. Every single one of her moves had been smoothly executed, she knew perfectly well what she was doing ... and yes, she was right. Taylor word's were a punch to her guts, and the reason why she went to her room the day before.

Regardless of all that, there was a superior truth that invalidated all her efforts. Max had no right to fix the mess her life was, Victoria didn't deserve it and she wasn't going to grant her that satisfaction.

"It's been great to see you and I'm glad your mom is OK, but I'm done with Victoria, I have stuff to do, see you guys later".

Taylor and Courtney bid her goodbye affectionately, Victoria chose to keep silent, before she left, however, she called her "Hey Max!".

Max turned and offered her a small grimace before answering "I know, I know... Fuck me, right?".

"Yeah, that's it, fuck you".

* * *

It had been a long time since Chloe walked by the harbor, still, truth be told, she had fallen short in her diagnosis. It was certainly a weekday in low season (i.e. all year round except for June-August) but it wasn't that cold yet and the day-light was still generous, in any case, the whole area was dead. The two friends had to find a fast food joint on one of the side streets to have dinner.

With their stomachs full of greasy pizza and the extra coffee Max had insisted they should drink, they were sitting on a bench in front of the ocean when Max made her strange request "Can you help me count the boats?".

"Uh?".

"The boats, I want to count them, you don't think any of them is still out on the sea, do you?".

"No, I don't think so, it's too late. Before you is the hella magnificent fleet of Arcadia Bay after the Prescotts have put their dirty hands in the local business".

"I count fourteen, see if you count the same".

...

"Twelve, thirteen...and fourteen. Double-checked it, fourteen it is, why it's important?"

"You'll see," replied Max enigmatically.

"Pfff whatever, I'm already used to it".

"I'm sorry, just a little bit more and you'll understand".

"Yeah, sure. What now?".

Max checked her cellphone and loosened up on the bench "the eclipse will start soon, let's just stay here".

Chloe glanced at her, downcast. "Max, you know unscheduled eclipses are not a thing, right?".

"Then you'll know I'm a complete nutcase, and you can stop being my friend, but if ...".

"I'm not gonna stop being your friend, whatever the fuck happens with the eclipse" Chloe barged in.

"Well... if I'm right" Max tried to continue.

"Loony bin material or not we're still gonna be friends".

Whatever Max wanted to said lost all relevance to Chloe's blunt statement so she decided to drop the issue. The next few minutes were spent amid giggles, remembering memories of their shared childhood. That lasted until Max, who had not lost track of the sun the whole time, saw a small darkened spot.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out two slightly odd looking sunglasses, and handed Chloe one of them "here, have one".

"What do you want me to do with this? Elton John meets Arcadia Bay Punk Princess?".

"I don't know anything about that, but you have gorgeous eyes and I don't want you to harm them, staring at the sun when there's an eclipse is not safe". Max replied as she put on her glasses "they're brand new I bought them this afternoon".

"Max, I told you...".

"You better see it for yourself, please put your glasses on first".

"With a sigh of resignation, Chloe lifted her head up without putting on her glasses "... motherfucker MAX! there's an eclipse".

"No shit Sherlock , seriously, the glasses".

With trembling hands, Chloe required several attempts until she successfully adjusted the glasses and looked back at the sun as if she didn't quite believe it "that's fucking impossible".

"We can already rule out the fact that I'm nuts, right?".

"I guess so... I mean, yeah right, I'm sorry, this is hella awesome. "How could you?..."

Max made a dismissive hand gesture "you've brought the Blackwell's keys?".

Chloe tapped her jacket pocket, the metallic sound confirmed she hadn't forgotten.

"I'm a bit on the too much pizza side and we have to wait until night time for our little trick, how about this, after the eclipse we go for a walk to wash out dinner and then Blackwell?"

"Sounds right".

"For now...just enjoy this with me," she said as she scoot over towards her "We've been apart for five year, I want to make up for lost time. Yesterday we saw the snow on the beach, today this, and I'm planning to experience the rest of this week's freaky stuff with you".

"You knew it was going to snow yesterday?".

"I know a great deal and I can assure you every single thing in that infamous message is gonna actually happen".

Before Chloe could answer, Max's phone went off the same way the day before. She pulled it out of her tote bag, checked the caller ID and put it away again.

"Don't tell me, it's this Warren guy" Chloe said with obvious annoyance.

"Yup".

"That guy couldn't be more obvious, he's so fucking into you".

"You know what? I think you're right" Max replied with total ease.

Max's phone started buzzing. The text alert wouldn't stop, which came in handy for Chloe in order to keep her from making some overly revealing comment.

Suddenly a different text alert sounded. Chloe looked at the other girl in amazement, Max raised her arms in a clear gesture that meant she had nothing to do with that text. Chloe removed her cell phone from her pants pocket and looked at the screen.

"It's Kate". Chloe glanced at Max hesitantly.

"Come on, text her back, don't keep your friend waiting".

Without a word and at the same time not losing sight of what Max had just implied, Chloe busied herself typing on her phone while she kept talking to Max, detailing her conversation "she's asking me about the eclipse, she's freaking out...pretty much everybody at Blackwell in fact...Oh, she's asking me where I am... I'm telling her I'm with you...telling her we had dinner together". Suddenly, Chloe blushed and put away her cell phone "that's it, I'll talk to her later".

"What did she ask you?" Max replied amused at the sight of her strange reaction.

"Just... you know... stuff".

(Insert cricket sound).

Lying on the bench, with the last rays of sunshine hidden behind an inconceivable eclipse, Chloe reflected on her life.

She was sitting next to her best friend, who also happened to be her first and biggest crush. Meeting her again had brought all those feelings to the surface again, at the same time she still had unresolved issues with her former non-girlfriend who turned out to have been sleeping with half the male population of Arcadia Bay on the sly. Meanwhile, another friend (she had friends, in amazing plural) was asking indiscreet questions via text, questions that she didn't want to answer not to create herself false expectations.

But wasn't that what was supposed to happen? Pure teenage drama in all its glorious misery. There was something comforting about the ordeals of late adolescence, the kind of life she was supposed to be living at her age and not the nonsensical race to nowhere in which she was stuck.

The heartwarming sensation that she was experiencing could only mean one thing.

Chloe was healing.

It could take a long time, she might not even be totally fixed in her entire life, but Chloe took a quick look at the freckled girl sitting next to her and knew she was healing.

God, what a fantastic feeling.

The sun had already set, there was nothing else to do there. Chloe got up and gently pulled her friend's arm. "Let's go for that walk".

* * *

It was already night time when the two girls got into the truck and headed for Blackwell.

Rolling through the streets of Arcadia Bay , Max pulled out her cell and began to type

 **Max: It's chilly outside.**

 **Victoria: Now you're playing the weatherman? already tired of being the retarded shy hipster geek?**

 ** **Max: You should stay in.****

 **Victoria: The fuck you mean?**

 ** ** **Max: I know you are set to go meet someone, please don't go.****** ** ** ** ** ** ** **It's for your own good.**************

 ** ** ** **Victoria: Get lost.********

Max had no clue whether Victoria would heed her recommendation. There was nothing else she could do, so she proceeded to answer all the texts she had received during the eclipse finishing just as Chloe was taking the turn into Blackwell.

"We're here" Chloe announced.

"Are you ready?".

"I honestly don't know".

"Good, 'cause I have no idea how you're gonna take this".

 **Notes.**

 **Probably not what you were expecting, but this chapter needed to be.**


	12. Passenger

**Chapter 12. Passenger.**

"Hurry up, hide," Max said as she pulled Chloe's arm and shoved her behind one of the large photo boards scattered around the courtyard "Victoria I swear, you're so stubborn" she mumbled to herself.

"What's going on?".

"That's Mark Jefferson, my photography teacher, and there's Victoria trying... I'm not exactly sure what she's really trying to do".

Chloe listened quietly to the conversation before she delivered her verdict with a sly smile "I believe it's hella clear what she's trying to do".

"I already know that, I meant the big picture, I don't think she has an specific plan".

"I beg to disagree, operation _getting into the professor's pants_ is progressing according to plans".

"You dork".

"Jealous much?".

"No," for a second Max got stiff, but before Chloe could notice it, she forced out a certain dreadful memory from her mind and labored a relaxed grin "not my type, anyway Victoria's move is going south".

"Doesn't look like it to me". While following the thread of conversation, on a second, more private level, Chloe wrote down in her mental list another kind of guy Max apparently didn't dig...you know, just in case. At the end, knowledge is power.

"Give it a couple more exchanges".

...

" _As a favor to your future, I'll also ignore that undisguised threat. This conversation is officially over, Miss Chase"._

 _"Wait!_

 _I only..._

 _Are you fucking kidding me?_

 _So stupid..."_

Still hiding, the two girls waited until Victoria left the courtyard, crestfallen and soaking up her appalling ridicule. Max turned to her friend with an overly-exagerated smarty-ass smile "as I was saying...".

"Wow, that was an epic flop, I'd give anything to have that on record, Kate and I would totally stage her revenge".

"Don't be so mean to her, she's gonna get even bigger blows".

"She had it coming for years.. I guess you know that for sure, the Victoria part I mean".

Max started walking holding her friend's hand "come on, we're almost there".

A massive orange banner with an unsubtle "GO BIGFOOTS" message hung above Blackwell's main entrance framing the bulky door. Chloe was looking all over, with a slight (and badly disguised) anxiety as she pulled the keys out of her jacket.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna get caught". To emphasize her assurance words Max wrapped her arm around her shoulders "Don't tell me you're not even a little excited about this, it'll be like when we were little girls".

"As far as I can remember, our childhood shenanigans didn't include breaking and entering".

"Oh come on, don't be such a spoilsport, if you have a key, how can it be breaking? they can't charge us for just entering".

The metallic sound of keys falling to the ground and a Chloe who turned to her with a dropped jaw were the two successive reactions to her words.

"What was that?". Max was playfully enjoying the last few moments before it all had to get too serious.

"It's.. it's this weird feeling that I can't get off my back, it's like...".

Max bent over and picked up the keys. Handing them to Chloe, she took both her hands between her own "I know... there's a reason for all that, let's go inside".

The front door fell in no time under the mighty command of Chloe the Keymaster. And so it happened with the door to the area where the principal's staff was located, but the third door, the one leading to the director's private office was a no-go. Chloe kept swearing under her breath, squatting in front of the lock trying one key after another with identical outcome.

"Drop it, you don't have that key".

Chloe looked up at her, slightly blinded by the flashlight she was using. Upon entering the building Max had rummaged through her bag and produced a small flashlight, which she had proudly presented to her friend as _useful item number one._

"You can't possibly know that, the head of security must have the key to the director's office".

"I _also_ know that, the key isn't there ... and before you mention it, your lock-picking wizardly skills won't get us anywhere".

Far beyond shock, Chloe stood up with an indifferent smirk, extremely slowly, too obviously making a point out of it, she pocketed back the keys and turned to her friend. "So?".

Replying with a smile of her own, Max stirred back into her bag to remove a weird-looking object. In the tricky light of the flashlight the concoction appeared to be some kind of tin cylinder partially wrapped in duct tape, although she couldn't make out exactly what it was. Taking a step towards her, Max raised the object and proudly introduced it to her "Useful item number two".

It was a soda can and it was indeed partially covered with duct tape, but now, subjected to a closer inspection she discovered something that had previously gone unnoticed. A wick. That could only mean one thing.

"What the fuck is that?" Chloe said emphasizing each one of the syllables.

"It's a pipe bomb" she replied calmly.

Like it was nothing, like the shy hipster photographer had suddenly mutated into a 19th-century European anarchist and dropping bombs right and left was the order of the day.

"Are you out of your funking mind? ...where did you learn to make a bomb?".

"Warren taught me".

"Oh man, Warren again, I hate that guy".

 _Sure you do dude. And for more than one reason._

"Why are you so upset, one would expect another disposition from the self-proclaimed punk princess of Arcadia, I don't know, something in the vicinity of _Yes! time to blow shit up._ Don't you like to blow things up?".

"Not if it means ruining my best friend's future". Chloe answered too eagerly, her subconscious betrayed her and she failed to measure her words letting too much insight into her true motivations. A slight pause in order to recompose the situation and continue with a much less compromising addition "plus I want to leave Arcadia bay and you're my only way out".

"That didn't seem like your first thought, though".

"Whatever the reasons, I'm not gonna let you risk...do it".

"You know," Max said as she approached the door and fixed the pipe bomb to the lock with a roll of duct tape she had withdrawn from her the bag "after I've proven I can predict unscheduled eclipses among many other equally mind-blowing stuff, I would expect you to trust me".

"I do" answered Chloe immediately. Realizing that Max had no intention of stopping, she pushed the issue harder "Wait, I do trust you, but this is a one-way ticket to fucktown, you're gonna screw up all your chances".

"So cute" said Max as she lit the bomb with a match she had also taken from his seemingly inexhaustible bag "If we get caught I'll definitely be kicked out of Blackwell, in your case? You'd probably face prison charges and yet I'm your biggest concern".

"Cute? You think it's cute that I care about my friend when she's gonna blow her life?" Chloe replied with a nervous grimace on her face.

With the wick already lit, Max turned towards her friend and stared directly into her eyes "Actually I was more in the train of thought that you're cute the whole time".

 _Story of my fucking life, of course it has to be now when Max calls me cute._

"Please, kill it, there's no turning back after this".

"Don't worry, I've got us covered," Max said with a confidence truly not fitting for the moment.

Since Max had chosen an extremely long wick **(1)** Chloe had time to plead her a couple more times while the flame continued its course. In all cases, Max assured her that under no circumstances they would be exposed.

Chloe kept staring at her the entire time. She was emanating that odd aura, like she was in charge of the whole show and the rest of humankind were mere movie extras under her direction. Just standing, with a half smile in her face, self-confident as it was impossible for her to be and gently squeezing her friend's hand. The same hand she hadn't let go since she dragged her away from the principal's door.

Against all logic, Chloe trusted her.

This is, of course, until what inevitably had to happen, finally happened. The door's lock was blown with a monstrous thunder and after a few seconds, the deafening sound of an alarm began to reverberate throughout the building.

Before turning to Max, Chloe still had time to curse herself internally for not ending this nonsense when she could. What was she really expecting to happen? What other outcome can you obtain from placing a bomb in a door?. However, this thought was quickly abandoned when reality imposed itself in the form of a Max, with the same cool-headed smile that again dragged her, this time into the director's office.

"Here, keep this handy". Max said as she pulled something out of her bag.

"What is it, useful object number three?" answered Chloe almost hysterically. The piercing sound of the alarm kept blaring, at any moment the police or Blackwell's own private security were going to show up and Max went on like it wasn't about them. If she didn't know better, Chloe wouldn't have doubted for a second that she was in front of a complete lunatic.

"They're really just tissues" she said as she pulled out a handful from the packet and handed them to her "no, no, not like that" she corrected Chloe "tissues on the left hand and your right hand holding my left hand, it is extremely important that you hold me tight and do not let go, got it?".

"Yeah, hold you tight, so the officers will have to drag us together".

"No one's gonna drag us".

"Max, really... this is it, we're toasted".

"Hey" Max answered totally ignoring the previous comment "These days... have you ever felt like some of my lines sounded familiar, as if it was something you could have said yourself?". Assuming Chloe understood it was a rhetorical question because how could it not be, Max answered her own question "that's because they were actually your own lines".

"I don't...what's happening here?" Chloe stammered.

"Ready?".

"I have no fucking idea what for, but yeah".

"Please don't freak out".

Chloe had the will to respond.

She thought it was more than appropriate confessing to her friend that the first time she asked her not to freak out she had changed her whole world. Word for word, action for action, she wouldn't have changed a single thing since they'd reunited, even if she was probably going to end up in jail. Because in this precious day and a half they had shared, she had felt more alive than she had felt in years.

Then something happened and those words that would have provided a moment of pure catharsis for her were forever lost.

Max, never letting go of Chloe, raised her right hand.

The consequent events lasted no more than 20 seconds, 30 at most. A much better writer than me, or at least one of those who enjoy getting themselves lost in paragraphs and more paragraphs of over-descriptive narrative, could have written an entire novel with everything that went through the mind of our beloved Chloe in that short space of time.

I'm going to limit myself to saying that time seemed to stop, the world around her blurred and, impossibly, she witnessed the door slowly returning to its state prior to the explosion.

Chloe shook off Max's grip still stunned by the "trip" and by the bizarro fact that the door was intact and the alarm wasn't sounding anymore. Accusing a temporal lack of coordination, she stumbled and ended up having to lean on her hands so as not to fall face first on the ground. Leaning her back against the wall, she stood up before asking a single question that was not even a question.

"Max?".

"I can rewind time".

"That can't be..I mean...that's hella...".

"You've seen it yourself".

"Yeah, I know, ...oh fuck, Max you're bleeding". Chloe said, suddenly recovering the notion of the world around her".

"I figured it so, tissues, please".

"Uh?".

"Tissues please, for the bleeding".

Chloe frowned not understanding what Max was asking her, until she realized she was holding a handful of tissues. The same tissues Max had insisted that she keep at hand. "You had all this planned from the start".

"I did," Max replied shyly, almost embarrassed.

"And the bleeding?".

"My powers, if I strain too much my nose bleeds. I imagined that bringing a passenger would be quite an effort".

"A passenger..." Chloe muttered to herself. Suddenly, she had a revelation. She looked at Max with extreme curiosity trying to find some not so obvious evidence, until very solemnly, she said "have you been abducted by aliens?".

"Aliens?" Max answered absolutely baffled by her friend's question " Are you nuts? No way, I told you, I just can rewind time".

Chloe returned the puzzled stare and only then did Max realize the utter absurdity of the moment. "Listen" she said, after running her hand through her hair in a gesture that denoted nervousness "we need to address a situation that affects both of us, there's a lot of serious talking to do, can we simply pretend that these last two sentences never existed?".

"Sure thing".

"All right then, there's some business we need to take care of before we get into it, can you please sit in the pincipal's chair".

Without a word, Chloe walked behind the principal's desk and sat down in the chair, immediately a small smile of delight gave away her thoughts.

"I know it's pretty comfy, still we are not taking it home, by the way, I agree, the bronze bird is gruesome".

Chloe raised her eyebrow and was about to answer but chose not to. Certainly there were going to be many questions in the immediate future and this looked like a minor affair.

"Open the first drawer, you'll find a bulky envelope, please take it out and look what's inside, we're keeping that".

Diligently, she did as what Max had asked "HOLY FUCK, JACKPOT!" she said as she glanced inside the envelope.

"You don't even need to count it, there's 5 grand inside and it's all ours. Think of it as the kick-start of our adventures together".

"We just keep it?" Chloe inspected the envelope and realized it had something written in it "Max, this is ...".

"I know perfectly well what the envelope reads" She replied in a blunt tone "and precisely because of that we are keeping it ... look, a few years ago there was this girl, she was a friend of mine even though we didn't have such a close relationship anymore, she studied at Blackwell. She was the most incredible girl you can imagine, smart, nice, loyal, beautiful... she had it all. Her parents bought her a car for her 16th birthday, a fucking son of a bitch ran a red light. Boom, paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of her life. Her parents incurred in an insurmountable debt just to keep her alive, Blackwell? well, fucking principal Wells sent her an extremely correct and well mannered letter stating that _due to the lack of disability access available around the historic campus she wasn't able to attend Blackwell anymore._ To be perfectly clear, they fucking kicked her out".

"Wow, what a prick".

"Handicapped fund, my ass. If that money had been for whatever else I would have had a moral dilemma, but that one, in cash? fuck you Wells, we have a small financial cushion".

"OK," Chloe answered putting the envelope in her jacket with a compliant smile "what happened to the girl? She surely was someone very special the way you talked about her, I'm jealous" she added in an only half-joking tone.

"You shouldn't be, she died".

"Shit, I'm sorry" Chloe blushed at her semi-screw up, having dealt with an obviously major issue for Max in such a light way.

"Don't worry, you might find it impossible to believe, but somehow there was a certain way out in that situation...in any case let's not wander, we have a lot to cover tonight. I guess you'll have many questions".

"Not really, my friend can rewind time and I just snatched some fund money, all hella normal around here".

"Yeah, I guess I deserve that treatment" Max lowered her head in shame "I'm so sorry".

"Hey", jumping from the chair, Chloe rushed to her friend and gently raised her chin until they were at eye level **(2)** "I didn't mean to guilt-trip you, I don't have a clue what this is about, irony seems the best approach in case it's bad news".

"Maybe I'm the one blaming myself, I've been cheating and I hate it".

"Cheating?"

Realizing that Chloe was going to need further clarification she made a little pause considering her options "Did you also played our first conversation in your mind a zillion times?".

"No"

Unperturbed in the face of such a flagrant lie Max elaborated her answer "What I told you yesterday is all I ever thought about telling you when we met again, but the first time wasn't like that at all, I was the same chicken shit I was all this years, I just sat in your truck and said mostly nothing".

"What do you mean by first time? Did you rewind our conversation?" Chloe replied slightly annoyed.

"It's a fair bit more complicated than that... I've already lived this whole week until Friday, this is my second time...that's why I know so many stuff".

"Oh fuck" Chloe replied with wide eyes

"Yeah, I guess that wraps it all up".

"Whenever you're ready, I'm all ears".

"It all started in the bathroom, I was there when Nathan shot you" .

"Nathan didn't sh..oh my god" Chloe covered her mouth with both hands in a gesture of pure desperation realizing the implications. It entailed a number of different issues, hardly a single good thing, but still, amidst the storm of emotions, a single thought lingered in her mind.

Max had saved her life.

Unable to speak, with a slight nod Chloe urged her to continue.

"We must thank God for your sloppiness _I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say..._ you never checked the space beyond the stalls, I was there hiding. I was refreshing my face when Nathan entered the bathroom, the girl's bathroom, I hid to prevent problems as everybody knows Nathan is trouble. Then you came in. The first time I didn't recognize you, blue hair and all, you started arguing, he pulled out a gun... my powers were triggered at that moment. Suddenly I was back in class ,everything was happening the exact same way, I did a couple of tests, I discovered that I could rewind time. I had to save the girl so I went to the bathroom again, this time I set off the alarm and you managed to escape with the ruckus. The thing it is that not until we met in the parking lot I realized it was you all the time". _  
_

Chloe stared at her friend, with extreme concern, false memories could only mean trouble. "There was no alarm Max".

Taking the hint at once, Max answered trying to reassure her friend "No, there was no alarm in reality that you remember, I'm not insane, I've...I've been in the bathroom three times".

"Three times?...now I'm officially lost" Chloe snorted in frustration.

"The week I lived, the one you don't remember, was very different, I set off the alarm and we met in the parking lot like this one, but everything else was different, my attitude was much more...like the Max you remember, shy, withdrawn, yet, little by little we reconnected. I was so scared that you wouldn't forgive me and then it was almost as if time had not passed between us. It was the best week in my life, at the same time, the worst. Bad stuff happened all week, snow, eclipse, twin moons...We assumed that using my powers caused some kind of imbalance".

"The message," Chloe said almost thinking out loud, "just like the message, it was you, wasn't it?".

"After having my best friend back, on Friday we found ourselves in the lighthouse, witnessing how a gargantuan tornado was going to wipe Arcadia Bay" Max paused, on the verge of tears and with a lump in her throat, she stared at her friend before she resumed "in challenging times is where we truly prove what we are made of... you... in the most difficult time you made the noblest decision".

"My noblest moment," Chloe repeated absently "What decision could I've made? what could I possibly did that mattered so much?".

"For all those people who don't give a shit about you, not only for the ones you care but for all of them... you asked me to go back to the bathroom and let you die to save them all".

Chloe, who had indeed made the right connections with the limited information at her disposal, sighed deeply. There was only one more thing left to ask "why am I here?".

"Because I'm not a good person. All this week it seemed like the universe wanted you dead. You accidentally shot yourself, a train ran over you... I have seen you die several times, each time something inside me has broken. Chloe, you are my top priority, you always have been...when I jumped back to the bathroom I was supposed to let you die. You had asked me and I accepted it ... I couldn't. You're here because I can't let you die, no matter the consequences".

With the perspective that time gives, it would be advantageous to affirm that at that point it was evident, but it was not. Enough had happened in Chloe Price's life to make a difference.

Her father's death.

Max moving or for what is worth, Max coming back to AB.

Her mother's second marriage.

Or even being rather benevolent with some character, Rachel´s disappearance.

But no. None of those circumstances had a deeper significance than the one I just recounted, because the moment Max told her she was willing to sacrifice an entire town before letting her die, the second part of Chloe's life began.

You guys know I'm not fond of spoilers, but let me tell you just this. It was such a blast.

Back to Chloe, still trying to assimilate such an overwhelming situation, she tried the only way out she could focus her attention on. Moving forward. "So... what do we do now?"

"Ever since I got out of the bathroom I've tried to manipulate stuff, make it better for everyone. I know why you were there that day, you told me about trying to blackmail Nathan so I went to the boys' dorm to sneak into his room, he had a picture of you passed out...I burned it, nobody has to see you like that".

It was Chloe's turn to bend her head in shame. "That was so stupid... thank you, I appreciate it".

"And there are more people around us I can help, Kate tried to jump from a roof last Tuesday because of that fucking video, I'm trying to help people, though no matter what the storm's coming, I need your help for the next phase of my plan".

"Absolutely, how could I fucking say no, what are we going to do?".

"Before that...the most critical aspect for me was to reconnect with you as soon as possible, I needed that so I could talk about my powers ...but there's something else that affects you directly".

Chloe frowned. Whatever it was shouldn't be more cumbersome than the previous revelations. She didn't quite grasp what her friend's hesitations were about. "Come on, lay it on me".

"The reason I know so much about Rachel, my investigation. You're the friend I was helping, you asked me to help find Rachel".

Frowning more, if that's a thing, Chloe realized that she hadn't thought about Rachel since Max started her story. She wasn't sure what that meant and decided to put that thought on hold, there were more important matters to deal with.

"Did we found her? Rachel, where is she?". Chloe was very anxious, yet not as much as either girl expected.

"We already have what we came here for and I don't wish to stay any longer than necessary, let's go to my room, I'll tell you everything there" Without waiting for an answer Max set out towards the door, trying to hide the anguish in her face. However, before she left the office Chloe pulled her arm, preventing her from advancing further.

"Wait".

"Come on, let's go. Even if the alarm didn't go off, someone might come".

Chloe didn't move. With a very serious expression, she pulled out a cigarette fiddled with it for a few seconds only to put it back in the package "Shit, I really need to smoke now" Before Max had time to list the twenty-seven and a half or so reasons why it was a poor idea to break into the principal's office and smoke a cigarette inside Chloe made a dissenting gesture indicating that it was not her intention "I know what you're doing here".

With little conviction, Max replied a quasi-incriminating "what do you mean?".

"All this" Chloe did a 360 with her hands before continuing with a trembling voice "It all makes sense now. Why you've kept me in the dark, why you made sure I was in a better place."

"Not a word of what I've told you was a lie," Max replied bluntly.

"I know Maxie, I know. You've been preparing me for the bad news...You see, I can picture Rachel serial-cheating on me, but there's no way I can imagine her disappearing for so long without even sending a text. She's... she's dead, isn't she?".

Max lowered her gaze immediately, unable to either lie or tell the truth, she just pulled her friend "let's go to my room".

The way back felt like a journey in itself. Chloe tried to keep her nerve, in any case before going out into the yard she had already started sobbing. With each step the weight of the world seemed to fall more and more upon her. As they entered the hallway to the dorms, Max was practically dragging Chloe who had been reduced to a bundle of tears.

"Lie down, you need it". Max said as she helped Chloe to the bed.

"Please, will you tell me where´s Rachel".

"She's dead, we found her body".

Already with her heart ripped apart, the confirmation didn't affect Chloe greatly.

"My photography teacher Mr. Jefferson,.. he has this secret bunker, owned by the Prescotts, there he kidnaps girls, drugs and abuses them...he takes pictures while they're passed out ,...he has binders with girls names on them, there's Rachel, there's Kate too...and there's an empty one with Victoria's name on it".

"Same Mr. Jefferson as in Rachel's letter?".

"She tried her game with the big guys but she never knew what she was getting into. I'm so sorry".

"He killed her?".

"It's more complex than that." Max fiddled with her hands nervously knowing that her next words would be hard to digest. "Mr. Jefferson is acting as a mentor of sorts to Nathan Prescott, he's nothing more than a pawn though, we believe he used him to access his money. Anyway, Nathan tried mimicking his art ...it was him who gave her an accidental overdose, that killed her".

Immediately Chloe hopped up from bed and with clenched teeth asked "are you sure, it was Nathan who finally killed her".

With resignation Max replied to her friend "we found her body. Mr Jefferson told me and... Nathan confessed it in a voice message".

"He's in this very building, I'm gonna fucking make him pay".

"Chloe, no, wait".

Max tried to grab Chloe, but she shook herself free and walked furiously towards the door, yet before leaving, she stopped, as if she had suddenly remembered a major deal.

And that's where the weird part comes in.

Chloe punched the hell out of the wall next to the door, however just before her fist made contact with the wall Max teleported to her side. Stranger still, two cushions folded over themselves appeared out of nowhere between the fist and the wall, absorbing the blow.

Thus, with Max holding the cushions and Chloe with her fist sunk in them, the two girls stared at each other.

"You first," Max said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"Okay," Chloe replied, removing her hand, and rotating her wrist. A little stiff but it was fine "I was going to get Nathan, but then I thought that if I did, all your efforts would be for nothing...I don't think your plan involved an assault on Nathan at Blackwell".

"No, not at all, we have a huge advantage over them and we need to act wisely".

"He's gonna pay?".

"He will... you need to understand that he's been used, last week Jefferson killed him".

"I can't say I feel bad about that... your turn".

"Apparently punching the wall is a very effective method for breaking your wrist, it may seem I have teleported, instead all I've done is walk up here, hold the cushions in place and rewind".

"Hella cool".

"Great, twice in a row, ever thought about improving your vocabulary".

"Twice?".

"Yeah, a single cushion didn't make it...seriously, last week Jefferson was ahead or us, he...he...he shot you and it was very difficult to change that timeline, they are going to pay but I don't want us to take any unnecessary risks".

"Okay, I get it, it must have been really hard to see me... you know".

"The hardest".

A simple yet powerful answer. And the way she put it, Chloe was left with no doubt that she was not exaggerating at all.

"What now?".

"Now you lie down and bawl your eyes out for your friend remembering the good times you shared together because flawed as she was, she was still your friend, and that's what friends do".

"What about you?".

"I stand by your side all night, because that's what best friends do".

* * *

 **Author notes.**

 **(1)** For dramatic effect.

 **(2)** Well, Max eye level.


	13. Breakfast at Joyce's

"Splish-splash?".

"Your words, not mine".

It was just after five in the morning as the truck rolled through the empty streets of Arcadia Bay. The night had been long, yet the two friends had barely slept a couple of hours before deciding to set Max's plan in motion rather than taking a much-needed rest.

True to her word, Max never left her friend's side while she mourned Rachel. Dozens of useless comforting words and repeated relapses after, Chloe calmed down and felt the urge to share with her some reminiscences from their time together. Max stoically endured the emotional downpour, memories that Chloe shared with someone who clearly meant a lot to her. Someone else.

It was tough, it was also the right thing to do.

 _Chloe comes first._

However, she did not offer a sweetened version of the truth. Chloe made a point of being fair to Rachel, emphasizing how she rescued her at a very low point in her life giving her a reason to move on. All the while, she acknowledged how Rachel most likely only saw her as a friend but never had the courage to admit it. Eventually, what could have been a tale about a beautiful friendship became a story of two people that were never honest with each other.

And Chloe, in a gesture of raw sincerity, blamed herself as much as Rachel.

"I can't believe I thought of sneaking into the pool, we were supposed to find out about my missing friend".

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, it was one of my favorite moments from last week".

"Was it?" Chloe replied in astonishment.

"Floating in warm water, all worries aside for a moment... So peaceful, a truly bonding moment. We were basically lashing out in the dark in our investigation, your words were exactly what I needed at that point".

"What did I tell you?" Maybe because of the lack of sleep or maybe because she was emotionally was drained, there was not a drop of sarcasm in the question. Gone was the bravado and instead, there was the legitimate desire to peek into a reality that had been stolen from her.

"You believed in me more than I did myself... I told you that you made me feel like I knew what I was doing and you told me I made you feel like you had a reason for still being in Arcadia Bay".

"Sounds like a very sweet memory," Chloe said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"It was.." Max replied absently "It was". Suddenly, she snapped back and with a mischievous smile she turned to her friend "aaaaaaand I got to see you in your undies".

It was pitch black outside. Due to the absence of public lighting on secondary roads in rural Oregon, the only light inside the cabin was the dim reflection from the headlights.

Pretty convenient for Chloe's pride.

* * *

"She's gonna kill us". Chloe said staring at her home.

"US?, I thought she was gonna kill you, after all, you are her daughter and I'm just..."

"A second daughter to her?".

"Darn, we are so fucked" a frustrated Max replied, "she's gonna freak out for sure".

"You have a tendency to make us, Price women, freak out".

"As much as I love your mom, it's the third time I've dreaded facing her".

Chloe turned to Max with a questioning expression "The wine incident for sure, this right here... I'm missing the other one".

"It didn't happen at least not for her...my first visit to the two whales after a month in the Bay avoiding the place like the plague, you know, me overthinking stuff".

"Oh shit, right, too many open fronts last night. So how was it?".

Max took Chloe's hand, which was still holding the clutch, and pulled it towards her lap. The truck was parked in Chloe's driveway, engine and lights already off not to give away their arrival. The two girls were staring at the house, deliberately stalling before confronting Joyce and David.

"She's just great. You, Price women, have a tendency to take me in no matter how much I screw up".

"Screw up? you may need to hella reevaluate your definitions. In plain English, I'm alive because of you. In my book, for sure that's not screwing up".

"Not only because of me, I still have a lot of gaps to fill, but you need to know that I wouldn't have managed to do jack on my own".

"Which doesn't void my previous point". Chloe lifted Max's hand towards her and kissed the back affectionately "I owe you my life".

Max bent her head, blushing, before stuttering her answer "somehow, that... that sounds awkward".

"Yeah, awkward, as if breaking time to keep me safe it's only natural".

"No, I mean, you're right, it's just...I don't know, it's...I'm still afraid to lose you...I don't know what I'd do without you".

"Hey, don't get so mushy on me," Chloe said releasing her friend's hand and reverting to her customary attitude "I'm here, Chloe fucking Price in the flesh, so far we're covered, not to mention that you can rely on my irreplaceable assistance. You'd be surprised to know what I'm capable of".

"Irreplaceable? I don't think so, I've witnessed you in action...I still remember your epic plan to break into Frank's van" Max mocked.

"Didn't work out?".

Max offered a single look that said it all.

"What are we doing Caulfield?" Chloe said snorting with resignation after a few moments.

"Uh?".

"For fuck's sake, we are going to tell my mother that a storm is going to sweep Arcadia Bay, that her only daughter is alive because her friend is a time traveler, and we're scared because it's too early in the morning".

"Oh dog, right, I don't know what...".

Max dropped it at middle sentence. We would normally say it was one of her usual traits, her tendency to hesitate or not finishing her sentences. Not now, though. Being back with Chloe had this magical impact, revitalizing to the extreme that, unconsciously, both girls had been brought back to their childhood. In that truck not a dead-end punk and a shy, insecure wanna-be photographer were seating, but two little girls afraid to be chastised after some mischief.

As the glorious day of the wine tasting session.

As no time has passed between them.

And it was a sublime feeling.

There were other pressing issues, so Max only allowed herself to rejoice in that thought for a couple of seconds before urging Chloe to move on. "Come on, call your mom already".

"Fuck it, let's do this". Chloe snorted again, pulled the phone out of her pocket and glanced at the screen before dialing "5.14 in the morning".

"Jeeez".

The phone rang twice, three times, still no answer. A light came on in Joyce's room, Max would have sworn she heard a growl, perhaps her senses were confusing her.

"Oh my God, Chloe what's wrong?".

An annoyed grunt escaped Chloe before she said a word "Jesus nothing is wrong, why is it you keep thinking the worst when I'm involved".

"Because I've been around you all those years".

"Fine, whatever...so, listen Joyce, you know we're having breakfast together today? Max asked you on Monday".

"Of course I remember, just it's too early, isn't it? What time is it?".

"5.14, wait...make that 5.15".

"Excuse me?" Joyce used that special tone, the one mothers use to turn a question into a veiled threat without altering grammatical accuracy "I hope you have at least a decent excuse for this, I didn't expect you before 7 or 7:30".

"I do, I mean, we do...Max and I. Listen, I'm gonna go ahead and make some coffee, come downstairs when you're ready" Feeling the conversation was ending, Max gave her a slight elbow to which Chloe immediately reacted "Oh, Joyce can you bring Sargent...er your husband with you".

"Oh my goodness, now I do really expect you to have a fitting reason for this, the last thing I want is another round between you and David".

"I'll see you inside". Chloe said dryly before hanging up the phone.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee had just invaded the dining room when David and Joyce walked down the stairs with stern faces. Without a word, Joyce headed to the kitchen where Max and Chloe were taking care of the coffee while David simply sat at the table keeping his temper at bay, or at least, trying to.

"Anyway, now we are here and although this is so ridiculous from you both, let me tell you that I'm glad you're here Max".

"Thank you, Joyce, it's great to be back".

"I was hoping you'd be a good influence on Chloe while you're around, after today? I'm having second thoughts. In any case before your justifications, what do you girls want for breakfast?".

"Maybe we'd better sit together first, we're not too hungry right now," Chloe said as she pushed Max to the table.

"Chloe I swear..." David got up leaning his fists on the table with evident anger, Max, however, interrupted the outburst by raising her voice a little more than strictly advisable.

"Don't Chloe her, please, this one is all on me. Sit and I'll explain". She gave a visual sweep to the room and added in a sheepish voice "please".

With everyone sitting around an empty table, the two friends looked at each other with a serious face. A slight grimace from Max and an equally slight nod from Chloe was the indication that the former wanted to carry the bulk of the conversation.

"All right, I think it's best to cut to the chase, she already knows, so this is for you," Max said staring at the two adults, "how I could convince you that I have time-related powers?".

Disappointment only had barely appeared on Joyce's face (not so, on her husband's, who was displaying his perennial angry look) before Chloe let out an excited cry "Oh fuck, you're not in the same spot, it's already over".

"LANGUAGE" Joyce chastised her "What is this nonsense? this not funny anymore let alone it wasn't in the first place. Time-related powers? what is already over?".

Max got up and pulled a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of her pants, handing it to David "take this, read it just for yourself please" she said in a tired voice.

"A gas bill?" he replied without abandoning his tone.

"The reverse. Please, it's very important that you don't read it out loud...your own instructions".

"My own ins...?" suddenly David paled. With wide eyes and a ghostly face, he alternatively looked between the piece of paper he was holding in his hands and Max "how...how is this even..." he mumbled.

"Are you Ok?" Chloe rushed to ask as she took Max's head in her hands and anxiously inspected her nose.

"I'm fine, it took some retries, although no nosebleed".

"Are you sure? no headaches, no nothing?" Chloe insisted as she turned her friend's head and continued her profuse examination.

"I said I'm fine, I appreciate your interest, but let me go".

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on here?" Joyce interrupted the exchange between the two friends, who tended to get lost in their own conversations.

"Yeah, you're right it's just your daughter caring a lot about me, anyway, before that, how do you like your coffee?".

Before anyone could even say a word, three mugs of steaming coffee appeared on the table in front of each of the occupied chairs. Max looked at Joyce as she sipped her own mug, which had suddenly appeared in her hands, and asked, "I hope you like it, one and a half spoonful of sugar is a somewhat complicated measure".

"Holy..." She replied without coming out of her astonishment.

"She did it again" Chloe announced with an ear-to-ear smile "time-bending Max 2, Price household 0".

"Sorry about the show-off, I thought it would be so much easier with a little display before I elaborate instead of explaining it for hours".

No one around her ventured to comment. David was looking at the piece of paper as if it were God's own word revealed, incapable of threading a thought that would bring a logical explanation to what he had just witnessed. Joyce simply reached for the coffee in front of her, which in fact had the correct amount of sugar and sipped it, wordless.

Chloe, meanwhile, was a whole other deal.

With her gaze fixed on her friend and a smile that threatened the corners of her mouth. Bosom bursting with true pride, the kind you experience for the accomplishments of someone you care.

For once feeling like she was on the right corner.

"Mr. Madsen, with all due respect, you've been a little stubborn, I had a tough sell on you".

"Convincing me?" he replied still with cloudy awareness.

"It's kinda been thanks to Chloe".

"Chloe?". Joyce asked as if the fact that her daughter had eased understanding between the parts involved was a hard truth to assimilate.

Out of respect, Max swallowed the discontent with Joyce's attitude before answering "She vouched for me, tried to convince you that I can alter time. She asked you, no, she begged you to give me a chance. In a nutshell, it turns out that things go smoother when she calls you Mum instead of by your name, as for Mr. Madsen, although Chloe implored him, it didn't help. It took the looming husband and wife trouble that you implied to persuade him to let us prove our point".

"I don't follow a thing about what's going on here," a confused Joyce replied.

"Mr. Madsen can you please read the first lines of the paper... you know, before the personal part".

All eyes turned to David, who looked like a knockout boxer. The reaction took far longer than usual to reach his brain until it finally did. With a voice that was still hesitant, he began to read "uh...it says _Arcadia Bay, Wednesday, October 9, 2013, it's 5:27 in the morning in Joyce's watch..."_

"That's three minutes from now," she said after checking it out "and why is it talking about my watch?"

"We all agreed on using your watch as a valid frame of reference, it's been a huge rewind, please continue Mr. Madsen".

"Sure, so it continues _this is to prove that Max can go back in time, I write this in my own handwriting_... and then the rest".

"It's your own handwriting?" Max asked. "You recognize it?".

"It is" David replied stunned, "and it has my signature. I didn't... I didn't write this".

"Yes you did, but I have rewound time to a point before that".

"OK," said David uncertainly as if fearing the rest of the story.

"I see this is going to sound crazy, so I'm going to explain the rules of our agreement: You were the most skeptical, what we arranged is that you would write something you would never have shared with anyone and give me the piece of paper because when I go back in time everything goes back to its previous state except what I'm carrying".

"Did you read it?" he asked, horror clearly present in his voice.

"No, our deal was clear, I had to respect your privacy" Max paused looking at the rest of the people at the table "Mr. Madsen, despite what you may think I want us to trust each other, and I cannot neglect that trust at the first chance. You have my word, I haven't read it, all I know is, according to your own words, it's something you have never shared with anyone".

"David?" Joyce asked arching an eyebrow.

"It happened before I joined the army, I'm... I'm sorry... I'm not ready to share...maybe in some years, sorry".

"So, you trust me?" Max asked with her gaze fixed on David.

"I...I don't have a way to explain what happened, your argument is impossible but it covers everything we've seen".

"What about the coffee?" Joyce interrupted. "You can also make things appear out of thin air".

Again, the nonverbal conversation between the two friends occurred before Chloe spoke up "no, she can't, although seen from the outside it might appear that's what just happened. My bet is that after asking us how we wanted the coffee she went calmly to the kitchen, prepared the coffees and brought them to the table before rewinding right up to the moment after her question".

"What she said" added Max shrugging her shoulders "and now is the moment for further clarification".

"Please, do," Joyce said.

"My powers...whatever they are because I don't have a reason to explain it, they were triggered last Monday, never before had I been able to do any of that, the problem is that it wasn't last Monday as you perceive it, this is the second time I'm living this week".

"Can you explain the _second time_ part in a way that we can all quite grasp?" Interestingly enough or perhaps not so much, because Max's efforts had been directed primarily at him, David asked the question with genuine concern, without a trace of disbelief or mockery.

"Remember this Monday someone caused a fuss in the ladies bathroom? That was me, that was my entry point to this week, it was actually the third time I experienced the same scene". With the mention of a _third time,_ David opened his mouth ready to ask, but Max hurried through the rest of her story, She knew that a myriad of questions were going to arise, the more she stuck to the absolutely necessary data, the better. "The first one, I happened to see Nathan Prescott arguing with a girl and accidentally shooting her. My powers emerged as soon as the girl dropped dead. I was transported to my class, a few minutes earlier, I could rewind time, so I went back to the bathroom, set off the alarm and saved the girl. That was the week that none of you remember because I erased it".

"Do you think that your powers are somehow related to that girl?" David asked in the same tone of no-nonsense used before "do you know who that girl is? Is she someone with special significance?".

"Oh yes," Max replied with a half smile "I know perfectly who she is, she is indeed special. As a matter of fact, she is the most special person for me".

All the adult's focus was on Max, even so, it was Chloe who spoke and stole the show "It was me. Nathan killed me, Max saved me. I guess that's a hella good summary".

"Chloe" Joyce brought her hands to her mouth in a horrified gesture.

"Not just that single occasion. She didn't indulge in many details, but apparently, she spent the past week saving me".

Max allowed the dense silence that had fallen over the room to linger for a few seconds before resuming "Chloe and I became again the friends we should never have stopped being. Needless to say, a lot more happened, we unraveled the mystery surrounding Rachel Amber's disappearance...we are keeping some stuff for ourselves, the most important part however was that at the end of the week we faced a very complicated situation. Chloe made a choice, despite that, I didn't respect it and that's why we're all sitting here having breakfast at this ungodly hour of the morning".

David went ahead and tried to bring some sort of order into the conversation in pure military briefing style. "I understand we're dealing with a complex situation, and for every piece of information you give us there will be more questions, I reckon the most appropriate course of action is for you to decide which parts are the most important and the remainder can be covered later".

"I guess you are right. Ok, so you've asked me before if I think my powers were related to that girl. Not only do I believe it, but I'm also convinced. Last week bizarre events happened, snow, an eclipse, etc. On Friday Chloe and I found ourselves at the lighthouse, overlooking a huge tornado that was going to sweep Arcadia Bay. We both assumed that saving Chloe had caused some kind of imbalance that brought all kinds of strange phenomena, finally the tornado... Chloe decided for both of us"

"What did she decided? What did my daughter want you to do?". Joyce asked in a trembling voice.

"She asked me to save Arcadia Bay... to go back to the bathroom for the third time...to let her die".

There might be worse things than losing a child. As it happens I can't imagine a more devastating scenario, probably Joyce couldn't either, which is why she asked her next question with extreme caution.

"So why you're here?".

"Because Max saved me again, because Max is always gonna save me no matter the price" Chloe replied to everyone's surprise "a tornado is going to obliterate Arcadia Bay this Friday because Max won't let me go".

Without a word Joyce got up from the chair and rushed over her daughter, hugging her with fury, covering her with kisses. Chloe, little (or not at all) used to this kind of affective excesses looked at Max not quite certain how to react. With a slight gesture, Max suggested to let her mother do. David and her maintained a respectful wait while only Joyce's drowned sobs sounded in the dining room.

When an emotionally ridden Joyce finally returned to her chair, it was David who addressed Max "that weird message? it was you, wasn't it? everything is going to happen?".

"Yes, everything happened just as the message says except part of what it predicts for today that we have to make it happen. We'll talk about that later".

"Whatever you say. So, where exactly are we standing now?".

"The big picture is crystal clear. On Friday, Arcadia Bay will be razed, I sent the message anonymously to alert the population. I hope there's no one left when the storm came".

"One moment" Chloe interrupted "the idea of this meeting was Max's, she knows that my relationship with you guys is not the best, but she insisted on it claiming she had her reasons. I still don't know why she considers you should be a part of this, in any case, I think we should evaluate our options, there's too much at stake".

"No," Max replied bluntly. "There are no options here. You live, we try to save the rest. There is no further debating".

"Oh Come on Max, we're talking about human beings here. Let's stop using euphemisms like _there's a lot at stake or whatever the price_. It's fucking people, with their lives, children, parents, thousands of them dead because you're saving my worthless ass".

"You're not worthless and it's my choice. You live, end of story" Max replied fiercely.

"The fuck you mean your choice? One against thousands, it's obvious, at least let's sit down and talk about it".

"I want my daughter alive." Joyce interrupted the discussion by raising her voice "and I'm sure David..."

"What the hell is this? a fucking democracy? are you voting on my fate regardless of me? David has a vote too? He doesn't even give a shit about me and he gets to vote?. Explain to me, Mom, tell how it's gonna be these days feeding people you're sentencing to death".

"You are completely missing the point" Joyce shot back.

"How's so? you are deciding for me, you don't seem to understand that I have to live with that".

"You're wrong" this time it was Max who imposed her voice "you've already decided. You chose to sacrifice yourself so that everyone would live, it was me who undid your choice. It happens to be I'm the one with the ability to change time, It's my responsibility".

Chloe sat down, dejected "How do you expect us to live with that burden on our backs, I want to bail with you, but not like this, we can't".

"That's why I'm going to try to save them".

"What if we fail? tell me you'll at least consider my will".

"DON'T ANSWER, MAX" standing up with a loud scream, Joyce startled everyone else sitting around. Her face with a disheveled grimace, eyes still watering, she fixed her gaze on her daughter. "You asked me what it would be like to feed people I'm sentencing to death, you want to know my answer? Screw them".

"Mom!".

"Don't you dare Chloe Elizabeth Price. All these years that you have drifted away from me, you have been selfish, I have tried to protect you...you don't understand a thing. When your father died, everyone felt sorry for me. I've never had better tips in my whole life, I'd come home only to find food at the door, groceries, envelopes with money. The first day David slept at home all that ended. People were willing to support me when I was William's poor widow, but not when I decided to rebuild my life. Those people I feed, the ones you think I'm going to sentence, you know how many times they talked out loud about William in front of me?, screw them, none of them loved your father as I did, none of them... and you're the best we ever did together".

"Is that reason enough? because I don't see how that can mean they deserve to die".

"Of course not, this is what I want you to take in, do you deserve to die?... You girls think you have a choice, but do you really have it? You are granted the power to save your friend only to end up in front of a moral conundrum: save one person or save thousands, the answer is clear and Max has to face that. What kind of perverse entity puts you in a situation like this? What kind of sick joke is that?"

"You're proving me right".

"You still don't get it. Walk out into the street, knock on every door of Arcadia Bay and ask if it is more ethical to save one individual or thousands. Absolutely everyone will answer the same way. Now repeat the question this time around the person who should die is their most beloved one. The answers won't be the same, still, the right thing would be to save as many people as possible...Now honestly, look me in the face and tell me you have a choice because as certain as the sun rises every day, you don't. You're morally compelled to choose a certain way, and that's not a choice if you ask me, that's a curse...So Max answer me, do you want that choice?".

"Of course I don't, I want to be part of the rest. I wish someone else was granted that alternative, that way Chloe would be safe".

"You see it now? giving you that kind of option means you are forced to sacrifice yourself. What Max has done is heroic, seeing as she can't reject the choice she still refuses to do what she is doomed to do". **(1)**

Joyce glanced sidelong at David who had followed the entire conversation without interfering. He nodded slightly, Joyce thanked him with her gaze. "Max, I reckon your plan is to save everyone, however if that can't be it, I want you to give me your word that you will save Chloe."

"I will," Max answered without hesitation.

"So there is no doubt, that includes all of us. If you find yourself in a situation where you are forced to decide between saving me or Chloe, I want you to save her".

"MOM!".

Max stretched out her arm and leaned her hand on Chloe's shoulder. She immediately relaxed when she felt the touch. Without taking her hand away and looking at her friend, she replied, "You have my word".

"This is simply too much, you are talking about saving me before an entire town like I'm worth it and I'm not. Look around you guys, there aren't many people who appreciate me, a single friend and my mother... not even all the people at this table care about me". Chloe's comment broke the mood. David lowered his head taking the punch like a veteran boxer trying not to make the situation more difficult.

With a gesture of reprimand, Max took her hand away from her friend "that's not true". Turning to David, she continued, "the reason I insisted so much about you being here is that we need you".

"Me?" he asked in disbelief, after seeing what Max was able to do, he didn't quite make out what they might need him for.

"We do, this has to do with what happened to Rachel Amber. There's no easy way to go about it, she's dead".

"Damn it," David said clenching his teeth.

"I know you've got a whole series of dossiers in the garage, you're doing an investigation on your own".

David's first impulse was to ask how she could know. He immediately realized it was stupid, so he just kept silent letting Max continue.

"Blackwell 's photography teacher, Mr. Jefferson, he's a pervert and a murderer. He's got a photo studio, a dark room, set in an old barn owned by the Prescotts. He drugs girls, takes pictures of them while they are out of it. He's gone so far as to kill some of them".

A horror cry escaped from Joyce's mouth, David for his part, after a muttered _son of a bitch_ kept his composure and adhered to the facts "He killed Rachel?".

"No, Nathan Prescott did. He's some kind of apprentice, he probably became obsessed with Rachel, tried to imitate Jefferson and gave her an accidental overdose. That's what killed her".

"All right, where exactly do I come in?".

Max turned and looked nervously at Chloe, who returned a suspicious look after the strange gesture.

"We found out about Rachel, but Jefferson was always ahead of us. He set us up... he took me...I was in the dark room, he drugged me... Victoria Chase was there with me, he killed her, I managed to escape".

"Oh my God, did he hurt you?" Chloe said to the horrified gaze of the rest.

"No, he just took pictures of me, it was disgusting anyway... I felt powerless, abused".

"Why didn't you tell me before?".

"Because we have more significant issues to take care of".

"More significant? How can you say that?. The tears Chloe had kept at bay throughout the conversation now flowed freely, to her mother's surprise, Chloe didn't make the slightest effort to keep her self control. "Motherfucker abused you, in what universe that isn't the most significant part of it?".

"It's gonna take me a while to get over it, but I have to. If I don't, if I'm afraid of him, he wins. And I assure you that I won't let him. You and me, together, we are winning this war".

"Swear to me, at least he's gonna pay for what he did to you" Chloe replied unconvinced.

"I guarantee you, not now though, we must focus on other issues. You are alive, we'll have many instances when all this is over. I beg you, please, let's put it aside for a few days".

Chloe stood still, looking at her friend with an expression close to the thousand-yard stare. They both knew that the conversation had been falsely closed, there would be time later for the inevitable rebukes.

"David, Chloe," Max said seriously, "there's something you need to know. She said before that not everyone at this table cared about her. While I was in the dark room, something happened that affects both of you... you two should know about it.".

"I'm not so sure about that. Go ahead, I guess". Chloe said with more resignation than conviction.

"When Jefferson set us up, not only he drugged me, he also shot Chloe".

"Did he...did he?" Joyce asked in a broken voice.

"Yes".

"Apparently, some higher power keeps insisting in my death" Chloe replied with all the cynicism she was able to inject into her voice.

"Not while I'm around."

Max's determination, her voice, cold as steel. Lying in her words, a promise, to protect Chloe beyond all logical limits.

Joyce couldn't stop a chill from running down her spine.

"David saved me, I went back, left him some information about the dark room. He saved me...not just that, when I told him Jefferson had killed you, he...he...".

"What did he do?".

"He shot him in cold blood".

"Oh my," Joyce said as she got up to hug her husband.

"Mr. Madsen," Max said as she got up and sat right next to him "all you regretted was not being able to protect your family... your stepdaughter, and not being able to tell Chloe how you felt about her. You have that chance now".

David looked up from his lap and with a sad glare asked "you are saying that Chloe died several times during that week?".

Max looked away.

With a lump in his throat, David stared at Chloe "I'm sorry, I've failed you in so many ways".

"It's OK" she answered sharply.

"No, it's not. I don't even want to imagine what you two girls have been through, it hurts just to think about it. Chloe, I come from a broken family, I had nowhere to go when I was discharged from the army. I met your mother and thought I had the chance of having a stable family for once in my life. Things didn't work out the way I expected".

"No shit".

"Your mother never had a falling out with your father, one day he was there and the next one, gone, just like that. Your mother never stopped loving your father, I know all I can be is second best".

"David that's not...". Joyce said

"It's fine Joyce, I knew what I was signing for...That doesn't mean that I love her any less or that she loves me any less. Chloe, your mother didn't marry me because she'd forgotten about your father. There's one thing you must understand, I've never tried to replace your father".

"You couldn't even if you wanted to".

"I know, Joyce told me how attached you were to him. I... I don't know how to do this, I've always wanted to be a good stepfather to you, someone you could lean on but you never gave me a chance, you hated me from day one. I reacted the only way I founded meaning in my life, orders and discipline".

"I was there, he was devastated when I told him you were gone," Max said, "give him a chance".

Chloe was deeply frustrated only a person who has wasted too much energy in futile battles can be. "Since Max is back, everything has changed for me, for the better. If she says I should give you a chance, I will. There's a lot of bad blood between us and it's not going to be easy but I'll try. As soon as this week is over we'll sit down... in the meantime let's be civil with each other and work together".

"I agree, and Chloe...thank you" David replied gratefully.

"I'm not trying to play family counselor here," Max said, "I hope you keep that in mind".

"I do" David replied heartbroken "I appreciate more than I can say."

"There's one more thing, this is really gonna be weird," Max said as she got up from the table and headed for a shelf. Once there she grabbed a photo album, turned the pages until she found the one she was looking for, removed it, and returned to her seat with a photo in her hands.

"Do you recognize this picture?" she asked as she showed it around.

"It's one of my favorites, my girl was so full of life there," Joyce replied wistfully.

"It's the last picture dad took before he died, I remember that day perfectly" Chloe added.

"Chloe's right, William took that picture just before ... That's what makes this photo so special. My powers work in different ways, at first I could only rewind short periods of time, then on Wednesday we discovered something about Rachel that upset Chloe, she reacted badly, got mad at me and ran away. I had that picture, Joyce had given it to me that morning and without realizing it, I discovered that I could travel through pictures... what I'm saying is that I traveled at the time that picture was taken".

"What do you mean?" Joyce asked.

"My eighteen-year-old self inside the body of my thirteen-year-old self, I lived the whole scene again".

Chloe, who knew Max more than any other person in this world, immediately frowned "what did you do, what did you change?".

"What could I possibly do for my best friend?".

"Fuck it, Max, you saved dad".

"Of course I did," Max said, "How could I not knowing what it meant to you?"

"Please stop" David interrupted "this is really confusing".

"When I travel, I have only a small window of time and space, there is some kind of blurry borders around that prevent me from moving, when I return, I return to my present self not knowing what has happened during the time in between".

"Are we now in that reality? Is William alive?". David asked carefully. The implications of such a change far exceeded his discernment and it seemed strange that Max kept this information all along.

"No, this is, let's say, the main timeline. The reality until last Monday must stay as you have experienced it, changes before that point lead to unpredictable consequences as I have come to learn. After saving William everything was a mess, I was bad to my parents, a bully, a member of the Vortex Club, I had only been in contact with Chloe through some letter. However, fate had been much more brutal with Chloe... I came running here as soon as I came back. William was alive, yes, but it came with a price. You bought her a car and...well, there was another accident, she was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the neck down. You were bankrupt, Chloe's treatments were very expensive, William was trying to cope, although he was very overwhelmed, Joyce was exhausted with two jobs... it was horrible".

"The handicapped girl, the one you told me about, it was me?" Chloe asked crying again.

"It's always you, in every timeline...always you".

"What happened, you said there was a way out?".

"This reality is our way out. In that reality you were dying, your respiratory system was failing, you had no more time left, your parents tried to keep it a secret, but somehow you found out. I spent the night with you watching a movie. The next morning you asked me to let you go. You told me you wanted to leave with the memory of our last night together".

"Max, what did you...? Chloe asked between sobs.

"I did what I always do, try to take care of you...whatever that implies. After you went to... sleep, I jumped back through the photo. I didn't hide the keys in that instance. I'm sorry I couldn't...".

Joyce stood up and hugged Max, squeezing her hard against her like only parents do "You tried to bring William back, I'm grateful for that, now we have to live our lives to the fullest, that's what he would have wanted, that and keeping her baby girl safe. Thanks for everything you've done for her, I always knew you were someone very special to her, but I never imagined to what extent".

"That's how important she is to me, that's one of the reasons I wanted to share this with you. I know she has made some very questionable decisions, all I'm asking you is not to be so hard on her. Every time she calls you expect the worst and that's not quite fair".

Joyce cleared her throat before answering in a reprimanding tone "Chloe must be responsible for her own decisions, this whole situation starts because she was conducting some shady business with Nathan Prescott...she was shot, if you weren't for you she would have died, that one's on her".

"I know, I'm the first to blame her, but in that alternate reality, she was the sweetest person you can imagine and I was a level 99 bitch. We are all victims of our circumstances. She took two very hard blows in rapid succession if I had not abandoned her, who knows what we'd be like now"

Joyce froze. Now she grasped Max's intentions, the meaning behind her words. In Joyce's defense, let's establish that it would take someone who could experience different timelines to make an irrefutable point and until 40 minutes ago, to her knowledge, in all recorded human history the count was a whopping zero. Images of a daughter devastated by the loss of her beloved father and best friend crowded her mind. In the middle of it all, a girl, squalid and freckled screaming with all her strength that things could have been different, that Chloe was to blame but by no means, she was the only one.

"I understand," she said very slowly "I understand".

"That's all I had to say so now let's get down to business. David, do you know someone in the feds?".

"Yes," he replied surprised by the sudden change of subject "rather someone who knows someone".

"Jefferson must fall today so we can focus on evacuating Arcadia Bay. You can drive me to the dark room, I'll take pictures and videos and provide you all remaining data including the location to Rachel Amber's body. I want you to go straight to the feds, we can't trust ABPD, Prescott owns them".

"Sounds like a solid plan," David said after meditating for a few seconds.

"I'll fill you in about details on the way". said Max as she got up.

"I'm coming," Chloe said also standing up as she spoke.

"No, you're not," Max replied immediately.

"It's risky, I wanna help you" Chloe vehemently protested.

"I'm going with David, I've got my powers and he's got his military training, we're well prepared for any unforeseen circumstances".

"That place you're going to... I don't want you to go, at least let David go alone".

"There's 24/7 camera surveillance, the doors have a security code. I need to go. Don't worry, I'll go in, take pictures and videos and rewind, it'll be like I've never been there".

"Then why don't you want me to go", Chloe insisted.

"Because it's an evil place. I don't want you anywhere near there".

Joyce stretched out on the table and took Chloe's hand "Come on, Chloe, stay with me, there's a lot we need to talk about".

Taking advantage of the gesture, Max took her other hand, giving her a gently squeeze "please, David saved me once, he'll protect me".

Wiping her tears with one hand, Chloe pointed her long finger at her stepfather "David, bring her back safe and sound, please".

David got up, finished his coffee with a long sip and headed for the garage with a firm step "I will Chloe, I promise".

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **(1)** Tired of eternal debates on the internet, leading nowhere?

Fed up of self-appointed guardians of morality trying to defend the Bay ending?

Convinced it's the right choice but you don't know how to verbalize it?

Fear no more, because with the new chapter of the Leopard, we include the handbook _Ethics of the Bae ending_ , the ultimate weapon to conquer every argument.

And more, IT'S FOR FREE.

So buck up and get out there, beat your opponents with your irrefutable arguments and ...well actually nothing, because it won't matter.

The only thing that really matters is that you and I both know we'd save Chloe.


	14. I'll always have your back

"Mr. Madsen?".

"David".

"Excuse me?".

"I think we're far beyond Mr. Madsen at this point. Call me David, please".

Max stirred uncomfortably in her seat. In stark contrast to Chloe's junker, the interior of his muscle car was immaculate, permeated with shaving lotion scent of the particular kind, fellow narrow-minded guys, would immediately identify as a fresh, nice odor. In Max's eyes, this was by no means an upgrade. There was a comforting homeliness to Chloe's complete disaster of a vehicle with scattered crap all over the place and its funny smell, a carefully blended mixture of cigarettes, weed, men's deodorant and cheap shampoo.

That was Chloe's aroma and Max wouldn't trade it for the whole world.

"Sure, David it is then. So...there's a couple of other issues I wanted to talk with you privately before we address the Jefferson issue".

"Of course, just go ahead".

"I want the surveillance cameras down". Max said bluntly.

Mr. Madsen kept his eyes fixed on the road, seemingly undisturbed, The only clue to what was going on in his mind was a slight movement in his upper lip, right where his mustache ended, indicating that he was trying to construct a suitable answer. "You understand I meant to protect my family?".

"I do," Max replied without abandoning her serious rictus. "better than I did last week, still, good intention, bad execution".

"I see".

"There was this big argument regarding the cameras, I sided with Chloe and Joyce finally gave you the boot. Last week you ended up sleeping in a hotel".

"Fuck". David immediately corrected himself upon realizing that he had sworn in front of Max "sorry, I didn't...".

"Don't worry, I think we're also far beyond certain formalities".

"Yes," Mr. Madsen said absently "Thank you, I guess".

Max positioned herself sideways looking straight at him.

"Last week I was glad you got kicked out. We both know Joyce, she's tough, yet, she tries to be fair, I honestly think you deserved it. Then Jefferson happened and I saw you torn apart by Chloe's death...I saw that other part of you, the part that you keep buried under layers upon layers of authoritarian bullshit and I can't help but offer you a second chance...screw it, if I'm not able to offer second chances then nobody can".

"I'll try my best not to let you down". David replied with an affected voice

"There's something else," Max quickly added "the first time we met, in Chloe's room, I manipulated you both, made you look like a fool. I should say I'm sorry but I'm not".

"What happened? in Chloe's room, I mean".

The anguish in David's voice was patent. Max had to admit it, he was a lot more intuitive than she ever gave him credit for. He had pictured the whole situation at once and had accurately deduced that something awful had happened. Something so terrible that Max chose to erase it.

"You slapped Chloe".

David stretched his jaw in a strange gesture, almost as if he was absorbing a blow "That doesn't exist anymore?" he answered without averting his gaze.

"No".

"That's good".

"This has to remain between us, however, I want to be absolutely clear about it. There are many things I am willing to forgive... some others, I never will".

"I get it" after a slight pause, David asked "Would you mind telling me what lead us to it? I do not want it to sound like any kind of excuse, though".

"You walked into her room in a rage, it escalated from there. I don't mean to deny Chloe's part in it, but you slapped her".

"Fair enough," he replied with all the dignity he could gather "It's too late to apologize, but I assure you it won't happen again...I'll try to make it right this time".

"You better". Max stirred again, definitely David's car didn't felt comfortable "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to save Chloe. For that I'm going to be eternally grateful so don't take this personally, because it's not, but if you ever lay a hand on her again, I'll make you regret being born".

Such menace finally elicited a reaction from Mr. Madsen, who turned briefly and cast a long glance at Max, full of an undefined sentiment that could pass for pride. In all honesty, it was very complicated to follow David's mental processes.

"I hear you soldier, loud and clear".

"Good," Max replied with a smirk, "and now as someone put it, let's talk bidness".

* * *

Chloe was in an awkward position.

One foot on the first step of the staircase leading to the top floor, ready to return to her room. At the same time, a hand, belonging to her mother was pulling her sleeve, preventing her from proceeding on her way.

Max had just left. After corroborating that she wasn't indeed joining them, a pouting Chloe had escorted her friend to David's car and had stubbornly refused to let her go until she promised to stay away from any risk. Physically and psychologically drained, she intended to lie down and wait for her return.

Apparently, her mother had different plans for them.

"What do you want, Joyce?".

"I'd rather you call me Mom always and not only when you have to convince someone that your friend can travel through time".

Straight to the stomach. Chloe bowed her head fitting in the blow. Having spent a significant part of her life managing demanding patrons, Joyce was unquestionably several lengths ahead when it came to dialectical battles.

"What do you want, Mom?".

"I just found out you're alive only because of a miracle I can't understand".

"Not a miracle, it was Max". Chloe interrupted.

"Of course it was Max, but this is about us and we have to deal with it together, mother to daughter. I gave up on you a long time ago, I'm not repeating that mistake ever again".

Chloe suppressed her first urge, turn around and continue on her way, disregarding everything else like she had been doing for many years. The easy way out. But Max trusted her being better than that, she believed in her.

 _Oh fuck._

"You're right".

Joyce raised an eyebrow, now that was a real surprise. For the sake of cordiality, she decided to let it go without further comment. "Sit back, you have to finish breakfast and we have to talk. I don't care about the order, but there's no way I'm going to let this moment pass without us speaking to each other".

With her gaze fixed on the floor and not answering, Chloe turned around and made her way to the dining room where she sat down in front of her coffee. Joyce waited a few seconds and followed, stopping half-way to the kitchen and stared at her daughter.

"Are we really doing this?". Chloe asked

"Sure we do".

"In that case, I'm drooling over a bacon omelet," she said after pondering briefly.

"Breakfast it is then. I'll put extra bacon just for this time," Joyce replied with the most gentle smile.

* * *

"Shall we go over it, David?".

"As many times as it takes until we're totally confident". He replied in a professional tone.

"The body is there," Max said, pointing to an area of the junkyard apparently undifferentiated from the rest. "Nathan is our best shot, he's highly unstable and on the other timeline he was sorry for what he did. I'll provide full insight, in the first interrogation you have to unload all the big guns on him".

"Are you certain that's the best approach?".

"I'm positive. Show him pictures of the body, tell him that you know he bought the drugs from Frank Bowers, that he accidentally overdose her. You have to play dirty, guilt him while you show him you know all about his game. Tell him about his work with Mark Jefferson and the dark room. I assure you that he will collapse like a house of cards and serve you the case on a silver platter, including Jefferson and his father".

"OK," David nodded, "There's still the issue of how we sell this story without raising suspicions".

"I've already thought about that. Let's start with the body. Anonymous tip. From there you can use your own work, you can claim that you've tied up ends with your investigation. What kind of rapport you have with your contact?".

"Complete trust, no questions asked. Problem is he will not deal with it directly, he will hand it over to someone else".

"That's even better, you can give him the photos and videos from the dark room and he can help you straighten out the story".

"Where do you stand in all this?".

"Chloe and I are out of this business, it's your show".

"Um," David added thoughtfully "Do you understand that I'm going to take unmerited credit? your effort isn't going to be recognized by anyone".

"I don't need recognition. I need Chloe safe".

David took some seconds carefully brooding about Max's words "I get it. It's unfair, but I understand why you do it and I must admit that I consider it a wise move".

"For me, that's about enough".

"That's it then?".

"As a matter of fact, no. There's something I need and I can only ask you".

"You tell me".

"I need a complete schematic of the Arcadia Bay police station and a device that can disable the cameras for a while".

"Can you repeat that?". David said with a frown.

"I don't think they'll move Jefferson all the way to Portland without questioning him first, so ABPD station is the only option. I need a layout of the building and as I suppose there will be cameras, anything that can give me a shot at being alone with him".

"What would you need that for?. David replied with an alarmed tone.

"I guess you didn't think I was just gonna turn Jefferson over to the police, did you?" Max replied as she walked back to the car.

* * *

"It was delicious".

"Your mother won't know many things, but she sure knows her way around the kitchen".

"That's not it," Chloe quickly replied "I... I know it wasn't easy for you".

"No, it wasn't, but William wouldn't be so pleased about us. There's a lot more about being a widowed mother than paying the bills and put the bread on the table".

"And there's a lot more to a daughter whose dad passed away than shutting up from...".

"Don't," Joyce interrupted abruptly "let's not walk down that path".

"OK," Chloe said, bowing her head.

"Talk to me. Let's put aside what we already know, I want to hear about my daughter".

"About me?".

"If you'd died in that bathroom, I wouldn't have known what to explain to the officers, why you were there or who you hung out with lately. These last years you've been a total stranger to me".

"Dad wouldn't be proud of us, I give you that". Chloe lifted her head and fixed her gaze on the backyard, not focusing on any particular point as a tear slipped down her cheek "Every day I think about him, I feel like I'm failing him and...fuck it's hard, I miss him".

"I miss him too".

Ready to snap one of her bitter remarks, Chloe opened her mouth. Joyce turned her head and gave her a pleading look and that was the second time her daughter surprised her in a matter of minutes.

"He was the most amazing dad, I don't know much about marriage, but it's only logical that he would be an amazing husband too".

"He was, never doubt that". Rising over the table, Joyce hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead.

Chloe, needless to say, started crying.

"Shit, this is far beyond my emotional boundaries, I'm not sure how to handle it".

"Take your time... try telling me how you feel".

After taking a deep breath, she frowned thoughtfully, delaying her response until she was confident in her words "How I feel?" Chloe said in a trembling voice "angry, that you already know. What might come as a surprise is that I'm more frustrated than angry".

"What are you frustrated about?".

"Not what, who...Max".

"Sorry?".

"Ever since Dad died, especially after Max's departure, life has been so easy to figure out. There were those who fucked me and those who didn't. And everybody fucked me. You married really soon, David was an asshole, even Dad was to blame for dying not being his fault and everything... I mean, if Max could betray me, then there was no hope left for me. Rachel was a ray of light, but that was also denied to me".

"I'm sorry you felt that way, it was never my intention ..."

"A few months later, Max comes back to my life" Chloe continued by ignoring her mother's apology "and she chooses to reappear in the most screwed up moment of my shitty existence. The official brat tells me nobody will miss me and boom, he shots me in the guts...yeah, way to go, Max". Chloe briefly focused her gaze and seemed to acknowledge her mother for the first time since she started talking. "I'm not even gonna keep in mind the fact that she's leveling a town for me. Let's put it aside you know, like it's nothing and still she is the source of my frustration".

"How come?".

"It's just... You have to understand, no one has ever hurt me so much as she did. My accumulated rage is measured in tons, especially against her. I forced myself to hate her. When she shows up... she's been thinking all these years about me. She was so hurt by the move that she spent months locked up at home and when she had the strength to come out, she was terrified, can you believe it? she was terrified that we weren't friends anymore".

Nodding her head, Joyce made a small smile, "it certainly fits the Max we knew".

"Not a single day she forgot about me. The first chance to leave home, she comes for me...I don't know what happened last week, she told me that I guilt-tripped her. As far as I know, what I told her it's not one percent of what I planned, so I guess no matter what timeline it is, we connected right off the bat. Friggin' Max Caulfield, comes into my life and turns it upside down, not only she's still my best friend, but five years later she loves me even more than before. And you know what? It's not like I was close to death, I actually danced the fucking lambada with the grim reaper, so I decided to take this as a turning point. I thought, for once, things are working out. My friend is in town for the whole school year and we will probably keep in touch after she leaves which is more than I expected. But of course, she has other plans".

"What do you mean by other plans, I don't see Max forgetting about you when all this is over".

"No, of course not," answered Chloe unable to contain the weeping "She's given me a way out of this shit hole, I'm leaving Arcadia Bay with her".

"But you're not... your position isn't the best, you don't have a job, what are you going to do?" Joyce replied in astonishment.

"I know, I told her... and much more, I mean, the shit I honestly think about myself, like I'm not worth it and she'll get bored of me, etc".

"Don't do that" Joyce scolded her with watery eyes.

Overwhelmed, Chloe took out a packet of cigarettes and glanced slightly at her mother. Joyce made a faint assenting gesture so she took out a cigarette and put the packet back in her jacket before rolling up her sleeve, showing the tattoo-free shoulder where a bruise, in all blue and purple magnificence was clearly visible.

"She punched me, Mom," Chloe said as she exhibited the bruise as a badge of honor. And honestly, that's how she saw it, the physical evidence that Max believed she was worth it "I was explaining to her how she was going to meet so many interesting people and I would become a burden. I've never seen her so angry. She punched me and then she yelled at me, she told me I was the best person she will ever meet and pushed me to put my shit together, go back to school or get a job before we left".

"Wow".

"Of course she knew what happened last week, but it's not about that. Max sees me as if I were the most special person that ever existed, lighthouse or not, and suddenly it all piles up. You're with her on this one, you'd rather sacrifice the whole town to keep me safe, David shot a guy because he killed me and he is willing to die to keep me safe, hell, I've even made a new friend since Max came back. So I find myself devoid of enemies, probably never had any... all those years of bottled anger, it won't just..." Chloe gestured with her hands, some sort of smoke or evaporation. In any case, the sense was clear "it would be so much easier if I had someone to vent on.. This rage isn't going to go away anytime soon but I don't want it anymore, I want to be a better person, I want to be the girl Max sees in me".

"You are, honey. You just need to try to be yourself. You've always been that girl and Max knows it".

Chloe continued fidgeting with the cigarette, without lighting it, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed for Joyce who didn't take her eye off it.

"Rachel never cared about my future".

"Are you going to smoke that cigarette or not?" answered a suddenly upset Joyce.

Startled, Chloe directed her gaze towards the cigarette "I don't think so, I'm trying..."

"Give me".

"Uh?".

"Give me the damn cigarette".

"You smoke?".

"I quit when I got pregnant. I haven't smoked in 20 years, so give me that one right now before I rip it out of your hands".

Chloe opened the backyard door while Joyce lit the cigarette and gave one of those overacted puffs that were so popular back when it was still allowed to do tobacco ads.

"You might do stupid things, but as certain as there's a sky above our heads, I didn't raise a stupid daughter".

"What are you talking about?".

"Rachel, obviously. You knew it. I've put up with you for years pouting about how you'd like Rachel to be more like Max".

Chloe blushed right away, ashamed to see her misery so openly exposed "She saved me, she was the only one who cared about me".

"Yes, she did, but only as a friend. You have no idea how much pain it caused me to see you investing so much effort on something that was so obviously not meant to be".

"I... I didn't have anyone else...shit..., somehow I always knew. She was sleeping with several guys behind my back, maybe she didn't even like girls".

"I'm sorry honey, but that was a stupid call from the very beginning".

"We should have been more honest with each other, I'll have to learn to live with that. Now I will try to sort out my life, and wherever Max and I end up, I'll try to find someone who likes me the way I am".

Joyce stopped at half puff and frowned at her daughter.

 _I take back what I said before, you're absolutely stupid. You wouldn't be able to see what life has for you_ _even if you had it right under your fucking nose **(1)**_

With a smile in her mouth and all the warmth her southern accent could provide to her voice, Joyce replied, "I'm sure you'll meet _someone else_ , don't worry about it".

* * *

"Take this," he said, offering Max a gun. They were parked away from the main road, at a safe distance from the barn. David had just finished a visual inspection, after placing back the binoculars in his bag he had pulled out the pistol that was now offered to her, handgrip first, with the barrel always pointing to the ground.

"I hate guns".

"I promised Chloe you'd be safe, if you insist on going in alone, at least take it".

"How are you supposed to protect me if I take the gun?".

David looked at her as one would look at a child talking in blissful innocence. "I brought another one," he replied, pulling another gun out of the bag.

 _Oh man._

Max reached out and took the gun without so much as a verbal answer.

"All right then," David replied with a satisfied expression plastered in his face "I will be waiting there," he said signaling to an elevated spot a few feet from the car "from there I have a vantage point. I'm pretty sure there's nobody there but better safe than sorry. Call me and leave the speaker on the whole time. Keep talking and describing what you see, I will guide you and explain how to proceed at every step".

Max turned around and grabbed her bag from the back seat where she had left it.

"Are we clear?"

"Yes".

"Be very careful, and remember everything we've talked about: Do not take any risks, follow my instructions to the letter, ask...".

"Here," Max said after a couple of seconds.

"What's that?" a confused David replied.

"A memory card. Stacked with photos and videos of the dark room. I also copied all emails from the computer, which was not password protected. You have more than enough to make them all fall, including Sean Prescott".

David froze, holding the card in his hand and looking at the young woman sitting next to him.

"I'm already back, It's done".

"Oh," David mumbled absolutely disheartened "Did I...?" he asked waving his phone.

With a faint smile, Max replied, "this was my gig, yours start from now".

"I'm never gonna get used to this," David said shaking his head.

"Let's go home. Chloe is waiting for us".

* * *

"Have you smoked inside the house, Chloe?" David asked as he closed the front door behind him, sniffing the air. The courtyard door was still open, which only confirmed his suspicions, yet David did not sound angry.

"It was me," Joyce replied without letting her daughter open her mouth.

David looked at her in confusion. The eyes of the two women were puffy, the hands of his wife rested on Chloe's arm in a gesture both protective and comforting.

"Don't say a word". Joyce said sweetly

David nodded and turned around, heading for the garage "I need to make a call".

Chloe got up and walked straight to Max, holding her tightly as if she wanted to make sure she was really there with her "I'm glad you're back".

"I'm glad, I'm back."

Without releasing her, actually squeezing her even more, Chloe sunk her face in her collarbone, breathing deeply against her skin. Chloe moved away from her only a fraction of second before the situation turned too awkward. "Now what?".

"Sleep," Max replied without batting an eyelash.

"Are you serious? it all starts now" Chloe replied, outraged at being left out again.

Max took Chloe's shaking hands "We have to choose our battles, we've already done our part. Let David take care of the rest".

A single glance at her mother was more than enough to convince her that if she really had to choose her battles, this wasn't one she was going to win.

"OK" she conceded, still downcast "you eat something, I'm heading upstairs, come up when you're done".

A while later, Max entered Chloe's room only to found her awake, sitting on the bed and ostensibly waiting for her.

"You haven't gone to sleep yet? you need to rest".

Chloe looked at her with an indecipherable expression.

"Is something wrong?".

"Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong. Even if you feel like I wasn't there for you...because I will never abandon you, Chloe. I'll always have your back. Always". Chloe recited from memory.

"You still remember".

"When did you say that?" Chloe added with staring fiercely at her friend.

Max took a deep breath. The meaning behind the question was unequivocal. "Last Thursday...that's tomorrow for you, I mean, you can figure it out".

"Yeah, I can...Why did you do it? You only changed a single thing in the past and it was that sentence. Why would you do such a thing knowing you were about to go away for five years?".

Max looked down in shame. Time travel is a very delicate business. For her it had been a few days, but her friend had lived many years with those words like a stab straight to the heart "I knew I was gonna hurt you...I wanted to give you hope, there wasn't more I could do".

"Those words... it was the worst betrayal, I hated you more because of what you said".

"I know you would, but that was a price I gladly paid".

"I see, another one of the many things you're willing to do for me".

"You don't understand," Max replied with an infinitely sad look, "I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for me".

Although it was still early, Chloe had already experienced an emotional roller-coaster. Numb, without a word, she simply removed her clothes except for the bra and panties and got into bed "let's get some rest".

"Give me a second." Max pulled out the phone and composed a message.

 **Max: Whatever happens today, it's not your fault.**

 **Victoria: I thought I made it clear. No more texting.**

 **Max: Tori, you need to be strong.**

 **Victoria: Don't EVER call me Tori and you're again talking nonsense.**

 **Max: Remember, it's not your fault.**

After putting the phone away, Max looked at Chloe, lying on the bed and curled up on the side of the bed.

Without second thoughts, Max undressed and got into the opposite side of the bed. As soon as her body lay down, Chloe turned and leaned her entire almost naked body against her back, drapping an arm over her.

Like the easiest puzzle to figure out ever, composed of only two pieces that fit perfectly.

Exactly three seconds later the two girls fell asleep.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **(1)** One by one, the great secrets behind our beloved characters are falling. Despite her southern warm, Joyce is very capable of swearing, even though she only does it in her inner monologue.

Another scoop brought to you by the leopard team


	15. Alabaster

"We're even".

The sunlight filtered through the american flag reflected on the dust specks, providing an ethereal illumination. It could be said that this placid atmosphere, this gentle coziness that invited to laze in bed was the reason why neither of them had moved a muscle despite being awake for several minutes. But that would be far from the truth, because the real reason was that neither wanted to separate from the other.

Two bodies. Sublimely bonded, skin on skin as if the lack of contact meant eternal oblivion in an archetypal example of shared thought.

"What do you mean?" Max replied without turning around. At some point she would have to change her position and move apart from Chloe. Not yet, if she could avoid it.

"I've seen you in your undies, we're even".

"Nope," Max answered lazily after giving it some thought.

"How so?".

"Technically I've seen you twice and you've seen me once, I don't see how we can be even".

"I'm not sure that's the way it works".

Max finally rolled around to lie on her back. The arm Chloe had kept draped around her all night didn't retreat, dragged by Max's movement, it ended up stretched over her bare stomach. Quite deliberately, she turned her gaze down to said arm and back to her friend, in a gesture that blatantly stated its teasing nature. Chloe, on her part, did not flinch, keeping her gaze fixed on Max.

"In case you hadn't noticed yet, it's my game and it's my rules".

In silence, the two girls stared at each other, immersed in their own private chicken game.

Alabaster Skin.

Max had heard that figure of speech hundreds of times. No matter how low-budget the metaphor was, with Chloe standing mere inches from her and her skin fully exposed in an intimate show just for her, there was no more appropriate allegory in her mind.

And it was, at the very least, a strange thought, because Max hadn't actually encountered alabaster in her entire life. Wood and its by-products, all kind of plastic derivates and glass. She was familiar with many materials, but certainly not with alabaster.

"You're hearing him too".

"I do".

"You know we should...".

"We should".

"OK, then".

"Yeah".

The two girls turned and, practically at the same time, got out of bed from opposite sides.

This one was, without a doubt, a real tie.

Max picked up her cell phone. As she expected, she had a myriad of notifications from almost everyone in Blackwell and her family. Before anything else, she composed a quick _everything's fine_ text for their parents. Since Monday she had been texting home with a more regular frequency.

Then she focused on the two people she was worried about.

Kate had written a long hearty email thanking her. That girl was pure gold.

Breathing deeply, she opened the text app and scrolled down.

 **Victoria: WTF. P** **olice entered the campus and took Nathan for questioning**

 **Victoria:** **I swear, if you had anything to do with this, you'll regret it.**

 **...**

 **Victoria: P** **olice is surrounding the campus.**

 **Victoria:** **OMG there's also the FBI.**

 **Victoria: What** **'s going on?**

 **...**

 **Victoria:** **They've taken Jefferson.**

 **...**

 **Victoria: Where are you?.**

 **Victoria: Rachel Amberwas murdered, they found her body.**

 **...**

 ** **Victoria: My parents called me, Nathan confessed killing Rachel.****

 ** **Victoria: You knew.****

 **Victoria: Answer me.**

 **...**

 ** ** ** ** ** **Victoria:****** Don't you dare ghost me, not now.******

 ** ** **...******

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Victoria:************ How the fuck it's not my fault? I should have known.******

 ** ** **...******

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Victoria: Max, please, talk to me.  
******************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **...******************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Victoria: I'm lost.******************

Max pulled the phone away with a lump in her throat. According to the time stamp, the course of events had gone as planned. Victoria was another issue. Her last message was sent barely twenty minutes ago.

"We need to check on the people at Blackwell". Max said to Chloe, who was sitting in the desk chair, patiently waiting for her to finish.

"You think they'll call you from the station".

"Don't underestimate Jefferson's ego".

"Fine then" Chloe conceded "I'm gonna take a quick shower, go ahead and get an update from David".

* * *

Upon entering the dining room, Max found him spread out on a chair, coffee in his hand and carrying the world on his back.

"How are you, David?".

Surprised by the irruption, he straightened his posture and made a motion to get up before Max interrupted him.

"Don't, I'm sure you're far from done, rest while you can. I'm going to pour me some coffee, can I get you something?".

"You're right, it's gonna be such a long day, I could use a refill" he replied, lifting his mug.

Max came back to the table with two mugs of coffee in her hands (no tricks this time) and sat down by David's side.

"We heard you from upstairs".

"Did I wake you up?", he said with some concern.

"We were already awake. Chloe's showering, she'll join us in no time".

"You want me to wait for her?".

"No, I'll brief her later, I assume we're pressed for time".

"I have to be available, providing data from my research", David replied shamefacedly.

"We all have our part to play" Max replied in a conciliatory tone "You're taking us away from the spotlight, care to give me a brief summary?".

"Well... everything went pretty much as we thought, my contact received all the intel and filtered it to his superiors, garnishing our cover story. A couple of teams immediately drove from Salem and Portland and dug up the body. Nathan was brought in for questioning and, indeed, collapsed. He begged for forgiveness and gave us everything. Jefferson and Sean Prescott have been arrested and are under FBI custody".

"At ABPD station I hope".

"Yes".

A satisfied smirk appeared briefly on Max's face before reverting to the sober, focused expression that she wore dicussing business. "That was the critical part of the plan, if he had been moved to Portland, everything would have blown to pieces".

"It was a solid plan" David conceded, returning to his professional tone. Without a doubt, that was the register in which he felt most comfortable. "it didn't make much sense to drive him for an hour and a half without questioning him in the first place".

"Now we just have to wait".

"Not really. An officer called from the station". David left his mug on the table and tucked his hand into the front pocket of his jacket producing a small piece of paper with a grin on his face "call him back as soon as possible".

Max took the paper, returning the playful smile "Oh... I'm definitely gonna call, in fact, I'm gonna do it right now".

"Remember, you're in control". David stretched out his arm and put his hand on her shoulder, "after seeing you in action, it would be stupid for me to offer any advice, just remember that time plays in your favor and don't rush isuess".

"Your advice is always welcomed, you know we're in this together".

Nodding, David withdrew his hand.

"Who am I calling? Max asked as she readied to call.

"Officer Berry. **(1)** The FBI is aware that the Prescotts are in control of part of the police force, Berry seems to be one of the few who are completely clean according to their reports".

The officer answered the phone immediately, clearly denoting that he was waiting for the call.

"Agent Berry, this is Max Caulfield, I believe you asked me to call you".

...

You're welcome, anything I can do to help".

...

...

"Do you have any idea why?".

...

"He asked specifically for me?".

...

"No, sorry, I have no idea".

...

...

"Well... I guess I'll do it if that's gonna help, I only have one request. I'm not sure about facing him alone, I would like a friend of mine to be present".

...

"How do you know?".

...

"Oh, I see".

...

"That's quite convenient. I'll go to Blackwell to check on my friends, let's say we meet at the station in... two hours?.

...

"OK then, make it closer to ninety minutes, we'll be there".

...

"As I said, anything I can do to help. I..it's... any of us could have been Rachel Amber".

...

Max stashed the phone back in her bag with a relieving gesture.

"I got lost somewhere in the middle of the conversation," David said.

"Now it's my turn to brief you" Max replied, loosely amused "Jefferson refuses any type of legal assistance. All he's said is he'll only confess if they let him talk to me first. They have a ton of evidence against him no matter what, it's a 100% winning case, but it would still be easier with his statement, so I've been asked to go to the station".

"What about Chloe? they just straight agreed to it?".

"Jefferson had already warned them that I might ask her to come along, and that, if that was the case, they should accept if they wanted a confession".

"I'm glad everything went as you projected" David said as he got up and headed for the garage, returning almost immediately with a medium sized bag that he carefully placed on the table. "I assume you're the one installing the device, so while Chloe comes downstairs, we should study how and where to place it".

Hardly fifteen minutes later, when they had already reviewed the plan no less than five times after David's well-meant insistence, Chloe made her entrance into the living room. There was nothing particularly unusual about her appearance, perhaps just the towel wrapped around her head that further stylized his figure. In any case, no reason in objective terms to justify the severe case of jaw-dropping that Max was suffering at the sight of amazing hair-dripping Chloe.

Let's face the music. Max was the artistic type. Highly talented in everything creative, but an average student at best. And she was, by no means, grammatically resourceful. However, looking at her friend, who returned her glance with a smile from ear to ear intended exclusively for her, Max could have delivered five consecutive lectures at the highest educative level on the ultimate poetic meaning behind the word _infatuation._

"It's all sorted out now?" she said looking at the scatter on the table. She spoke with that casual style that was so natural to her, as if they were planning a camping weekend and not a confrontation with a monster.

"Do you want to give it another run?" David asked in a paternalistic tone.

"No, I'm good". Max turned to Chloe to add, "Go upstairs and dry your hair while I'm picking this up, I'll fill you in on the road".

* * *

"We have limited time and I want to change clothes and shower. We better split up, you go see Kate and I'll take care of Victoria".

"Victoria" snorted Chloe with resignation "at least it's not that half-assed guy you want to check on".

Max frowned curiously until suddenly her face lit up "oh, you mean Warren?".

"Yeah, that's the guy," she answered plainly annoyed at how her friend's face glowed when she talked about him.

"I mean, it's so fucking clear, how many calls and texts he sent you while you were sleeping?".

"He bombed my phone". Max replied with a treacherous smile.

"There you go, I mean it's totally up to...wait". Chloe suddenly shifted to a fully earnest expression "You've already lived the whole week, you know how this story ends".

Max chuckled mockingly before answering "took you long enough to realize... you were supposed to be the smart one".

Realizing how idiotic she had been, she blushed immediately "Fucking time travel, it's hella complicated to take into account".

"Come on, and you talk obvious, how come you didn't realize?".

"Arrgh" Chloe smacked the steering wheel with her best imitation of a pirate shout "I've been defeated by Long Max Silver and her secret powers".

"Nothing new under the sun, just like when we were kids".

"Excuse me?" Chloe pretended to be extremely offended "I may not be able to travel through time but my memory is robust. I don't remember ever you defeating me".

Well," replied Max with a mystical vibe. "Keep your memories as long as you can, you never know who might travel back in time and turn your victories into humiliating defeats".

"DON'T YOU DARE" Chloe replied chuckling.

"Nah. I wouldn't change a single moment of our childhood. Holding on to those memories kept me afloat in my worst hours in Seattle".

Chloe briefly turned her head to her friend trying to keep her eyes on the road "Those are also my favorite moments" she told her before giving her a friendly punch on the shoulder "and don't change the subject, I'm still waiting for your answer".

"What was the question again," Max asked genuinely intrigued.

"Warren was the question".

Involuntarily, Chloe clenched her hands on the steering wheel ready for the bad news.

"But I already answered you yesterday, he's not my type" She said. Realizing that that was not the answer Chloe was looking for, she added, "nothing happened or will happen this week and I can assure you that nothing will happen in the following weeks".

"Um, I see," Chloe replied. Internally she was satisfied with the answer but that was just a minor milestone on a thorny road ahead of her, a road that almost certainly wouldn't get her anywhere. It didn't matter anymore, with every moment she spent with Max she was more willing to hold on to the meager hopes she had and at least exhaust her chances.

 _Let's be smooth._

"So, since you brought it up, what's your type? because so far you've deflected all questions about the particular?"

"I brought it up? it was you who first asked about Warren out of the blue".

"Whatever" Chloe answered making a dismissive gesture with her hand. She intended it to look cool, a casual gesture, hiding its true meaning "You're deflecting again".

"Am I?" Taking a deep breath, Max raised a rhetorical question "You're not gonna give up?". And that's the thing about rhetorical questions. You don't expect an answer so Max replied to herself. "Fine, I don't have a definite type I just like who I like and that's it".

"I guess the next question is a must then, do you like anyone?".

"Well, you guessed wrong, because it's not a must and therefore I'm not answering you".

"Why do you keep me deliberately in the dark?" Chloe staged her best puppy eye show, trying to hide her frustration with the answer.

"You know what?" Max replied, staring at Chloe "stay by my side and eventually, you'll find out. In the meantime, we have urgent issues on our hands".

* * *

The atmosphere in Blackwell was depressing. Rachel Amber was dead, murdered, and buried to rot. Nathan Prescott was a killer, a teacher, one of the students' favorites, was far worse than that. Without much margin for error, the principal had suspended classes for the rest of the week to, at least, attempt to redress a situation that had slipped out of his hands.

"I'm going straight to check on Victoria, if you finish sooner you can wait for me in my room". Max said as they walked by the fountain. The parking lot was packed and yet the courtyard was absolutely deserted, which could only mean that everyone was confined in their rooms.

"Okay, just remember to unlock it".

"Right, I forgot" Max replied with a grin of embarrassment as she reached into the back pocket of her pants "this is for you, it's a spare key to my room".

Stunned, Chloe reached out and took the key Max was offering her.

"What?" Max asked. "You know you're welcomed, besides, we're gonna be roommates next year, so we'd better get used to it".

"Wow, it's...I mean...I don't know, you're basically telling me I can come into your room whenever I want".

Her friend's response caused Max to frown, looking for the appropriate answer "Not really, what I'm telling you is that I want you to be around at all times".

Instead she nodded, and kept walking in silence savoring Max's words.

Courtney and Taylor were sitting on the floor in front of their friend's room. They immediately got up with anxious faces as soon as they saw the two girls approaching.

"Hey, guys".

"Hey Max" Taylor replied while Courtney put a hand on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze.

"I'm going to see Kate," Chloe said a bit abruptly and immediately added, "Ladies, keep safe, please".

The two girls looked in disbelief at Chloe, as she walked across the hall and knocked on Kate's door.

"Did she just?... Taylor babbled.

"Yes," Max replied proudly "that was a nice thought for you, anyway, how's Victoria?".

"We have no idea," Taylor replied. "Like everyone else, at first she was confused, we thought it had something to do with the incident in the parking lot, but when we saw the police and the FBI that was discarded. Victoria freaked out and called her parents, they pulled some strings and called her back. She's locked herself since then. She won't open her door or answer calls or texts".

"That's right, and no one knows what to do either, so we just sat here. We've given up knocking on her door because she's not answering...I don't know, I guess at some point she'll open or we'll leave".

"Victoria's lucky to have such friends as you. Let me try, I think she'll want to talk to me".

"Be my guest" Courtney said as she walked away from the door dragging the other girl along.

Max gave the door a couple of gentle knocks. In the absence of response she insisted, knocking harder the second time "It's Max, please open".

Footsteps sounded in the room, followed by the sound of the latch unlocking the door. That was all. No words, no open door. In any case, it was a clear invitation.

"I think it's best if you leave, try to check on other people. Everyone must be messed up in their own way, be gentle with them".

"Yeah, probably we should go, maybe visit Dana or Juliet," Taylor said.

"There's another thing, Kate's video...".

Courtney interrupted Max, without a doubt, ashamed of their behavior "it's already down, Victoria must have erased it".

Max found Victoria sitting on the bed with her earbuds on. Unkempt, dressed in a wrikled sweater and pencil skirt and shoeless, she lifted her puffy eyes and Max did not hesitate. She sat next to her and hugged her tightly.

Victoria dismissed each and every one of the aspects that were critical in her life. Keep up appearances, maintain distances, clearly state that she was superior. This time the coin flipped on the other side and Victoria could indulge in a moment of peace, lost in the arms of her unlikely _friend?._

That wasn't a thought she was willing to share. Anyway, decidedly being Max's friend was a welcome sight. Another issue was if she deserved to be, but that was a thought for another time.

Max broke the hug by caressing her friend's disheveled hair. One thing she never would have guessed is that Victoria's hair tended to get spiky, Max couldn't help but wonder how much time she spent taming her hair, seeing her always flawless appearance. _  
_

"I don't do hugs," she said without a trace of bitterness in her voice.

"Not even after getting laid?".

"I don't get laid either" Victoria replied with overwhelming sincerity.

"Neither do I. I do hugs, though. I guess it isn't anywhere near the real thing, but at least it's something".

Victoria sadly looked at Max and tried to carve a half smile "I don't believe you came here to discuss our, apparently pathetic, sex life".

"Not really. I just came to see how my friend was doing".

"We' re not..."

"Nananana" Max cut her off "too late for that, you texted me, everybody knows you only text friends".

"That's not how it works".

"I don't care. You need a friend. I'm your friend, that's why I'm here. End of story".

Moving a little away from her, as if to gain perspective, Victoria carefully scrutinized Max. Determined, she said the one thing Miss Chase would say in that sort of predicament. "Why?".

"Because there's so much more about you than meets the eye. From day one, I realized that you're a much better person than you let on. Keep in mind that the fact that I don't talk much doesn't mean I don't observe. After all, I'm a photographer".

"And a good one indeed. I can only wonder if you manage to take those pictures with a toy camera what would you do with a real camera?".

"There's only one way to find out. What about when all this is over we start working together".

"That would be nice... very nice".

Victoria stared at Max again, realizing where the conversation had headed. This time she managed to outline, though sad, a complete smile "you played me again".

"It's not about playing, it's about making you feel good".

"I was her best friend, I should..."

"No" Max cut again "It's not your fault, none of it. Nathan might seem unstable but no one could imagine what he was doing with Jefferson. It's on the two of them".

Victoria turned around and began to sob uncontrollably "I didn't...".

Leaning one hand on her back, Max spoke softly "Jefferson manipulated him for a long time, it wasn't your fault".

"I don't get it, how could you know so much, you tried to keep me from seeing Jefferson".

"That's something I'll keep to myself. We couldn't do anything for Rachel, or the other girls, but at least they won't be able to hurt anyone else".

After some more restorative crying (accompanied by plenty of hiccups and extremely unglamorous nose blows from Queen Victoria herself) she turned to Max again "Thank you".

Max returned a sincere smile that brightened the entire room "I have to go now. I'll check on you later, _friend"._

"Goodbye," Victoria said while giving a hug (a short one, that's it) to Max. "before you go" she added in a trembling voice "Kate's video... it's already deleted".

"That's a good thing, Victoria Maribeth Chase".

Max got up and left the room, leaving behind a friend for life.

* * *

Sure enough, that was the longest shower Max remembered taking in a long time.

On returning to her room, she discovered that Chloe was still hanging out with Kate. That was a positive development, she had to open up to more people, make more friends, not be fully focused on Max. And it's not like Max would be bothered by the exclusive attention, far from that. It's just... healthy relationships.

The showers, like the rest of the shared spaces, were deserted and Max took advantage of that unusual restful moment to prepare for what was to come.

Refreshed and with her nails and mind sharpened, she returned to her room.

"How's Kate?" she asked as she walked in.

"Fine" she's a remarkable person, she's much stronger than she looks".

"Sure she is. I'm glad you guys are friends".

"Yeah, I'm glad too. Wanna know a weird thing.? She hasn't even mentioned the fact that you knew more than you should know. Zero, nada, and I'm sure she's realized that something doesn't add up".

"Well, that's Kate in a nutshell".

Chloe remained silent for a moment and turned to a more serious tone. "I suppose that's all there is to it. Ready?"

"Oh, I'm so fucking ready" Max replied with a mischievous smile.

* * *

 **Author notes**

 **(1)** You all knew it was gonna be him. In this fandom there is no self-respecting fic in which a man of the law appears other than our beloved Officer Berry.


	16. Rounders

Officer Berry was, indeed, waiting for them at the front desk as they entered the police station. After presenting himself and thanking them profusely for consenting to an interview with Jefferson, he escorted them to an adjoining office where he introduced them to the FBI liaison. The Agent was basically everything you would expect from someone from the FBI if you grew up watching movies. White shirt, black tie, narrow cut black suit with matching black shoes, short hair and sharp look.

The very first thing he did was identify himself as an FBI agent. Flashing his badge with utmost pride, his fingers wandered through the brass, masturbating it as he turned it towards each of the girls so they could observe it closely. From that moment it became clear that he was someone who downright, enjoyed his job.

After the introductions and the signing of several confidentiality agreements, the Agent informed them that Jefferson was going to be transferred from the cell to the interrogation room, so they were instructed to wait in that office until all was set.

As soon as they were alone, Max turned to Chloe and nodded.

"You know where we are placed? Know your way around?".

"Sure, David did a good job".

"Hey," Chloe said as she grabbed Max by the sleeve. "Watch out, I don't want you to get in trouble".

"Don't worry, I got this". Max leaned over her and stroked her cheek affectionately before returning to her previous position.

A minuscule change in Max's position, a shift so subtle that it would have gone totally overlooked to an unsuspecting eye, was the cue Chloe was waiting for. The sudden fatigue, clearly noticeable on her face, finished telling the tale.

Leaning towards Max in order to keep their conversation private, Chloe simply asked: "How many times?".

"None".

Chloe backed away a bit to give her friend a puzzled gaze.

"I stopped time".

"Can you do that at will?".

"No, I mean, at least I couldn't. I just focused on stopping time and it worked".

"Wow".

"And that's not even the coolest part".

"Deets. Now".

"Remember how I told you it was when I stopped time for the first time?. It was like walking on molasses or quicksand, it's not like I've ever experienced either but you can get the idea. This time it's been more like walking on the beach with water at waist level. Sure it's also tiresome, but somehow I feel as if my powers are expanding".

"Holy fucking shit, that's hella awesome".

"Yeah, quite eloquent. I wouldn't have phrased it better myself".

"What's the time window?".

"I've set the timer to 20 minutes from now".

"Will that be enough?".

"I took a picture just before I set it, we're good".

Almost immediately, Agent Something went back in.

When he introduced himself, he had stated his last name, but neither of the two girls remembered. It didn't matter much either, because it was obvious that the important part was Agent and not his last name.

"Mr. Jefferson's already in the interrogation room. Before we go over there, I want to ask you a couple of questions, _Max never Maxine_ ".

Max smiled at the Agent's obvious effort to make her feel comfortable "Yeah, that's me. Whatever you need to know".

"I understand that your only relationship with Mr. Jefferson is as your teacher and that you had never met him in person before coming to Blackwell. Is that correct?".

"Yes, I would also add that I've never had a conversation with him outside of class".

"That is consistent with what we have been told" he replied almost to himself "Do you have any idea why he wants to talk to you?".

"No, I'm sorry". Max replied nicely

"You have no idea why he knew you'd ask to come with your friend?".

"No, I'm sorry again. As far as I know, he's never seen Chloe in his life. The only piece of information I can offer you, is that Chloe was the subject of the picture I submitted for the contest. She asked me about her, so I told him she was my best friend".

"Do you think it might have something to do with that contest?".

"It's as good a guess as any. Look, I'm sorry to be of no help, honestly, but I have no idea what this all is about".

"Don't worry" said Agent Something in a surprisingly affectionate tone. "You are being very helpful by coming. We are just trying to figure out his motives".

"I'd wish I could offer you more".

"Forget it, let's focus on what is going to happen now. The interrogation room is as cliche as it can get. He will be seated, handcuffed to the table, you will sit in front of him. We will be watching everything from behind the mirror and there will be a camera recording. You will be monitored at all times".

"Ok," Max nodded, slightly overwhelmed by all the attention.

"About Chloe, do you want her to be with you in the interrogation room? or do you prefer her to wait with us?".

"I'm gonna be 100% by Max's side, I don't even need a chair, I'd rather stand next to her" Chloe rushed to answer.

"That would be nice if it's possible, I... I feel safer if she's by my side".

Agent Something, raised an eyebrow as he looked alternately at the two girls. "Everything is clear then. This way, please" he replied as he stood up and held the door for them.

Max deliberately stalled, waiting for Officer Berry to point them in the right direction even though she knew exactly where they were heading. As the group reached the interrogation room, the Agent turned to the girls to deliver the final warnings.

"I have seen many people arrested in my life and I have come to the conclusion that there are basically three different groups. Those who regret what they have done, those who do not understand the scope and repercussions of their actions, and the worst kind. The ones who are proud of what they have done. Mark Jefferson belongs to the third group". Making a short pause for the statement to sink in, he continued. "You are under no legal obligation. The moment you feel uncomfortable the conversation ends, are we clear?" he said in a firm but friendly voice.

"Yes, sir".

"Do not approach him, he is handcuffed to the table and cannot reach you".

"OK".

"And finally, if I do not like one thing he says, I'll be the one to cut off the conversation. Your safety is my primary concern here".

"Thank you, Agent".

"Chloe, there is not much I can say to you. Your presence here means we are not exactly playing this by the book, but it is the least we can do for Max. Just...do whatever she needs you to do".

"Don't worry, leave Max's wellbeing on my hands," Chloe replied with a cocky smile.

"Girls, please. Play it safe".

Agent Something opened the door while Officer Berry went to the next room to monitor the interrogation. Berry hadn't opened his mouth since he first introduced himself to them, and even though they were in APBD facilities, it was abundantly clear who was calling the shots.

The two friends entered the room followed by the FBI man who left the door open and waited on one side of the table, while Max sat and Chloe stood right behind her. Mark Jefferson wore a satisfaction smile, unrelated to the reality around him, his predatory gaze was fixed on Max, ignoring the rest of the people in the room.

"Mr. Jefferson," Agent Something said using a cold and threatening tone "we have granted your request, but that is all you are getting from us. We will be watching you at all times, one false move and this is over. In any case, we wait for your statement right away, as we agreed".

"I am fully aware of the terms of our agreement," Jefferson replied without even bothering to turn his head "now, if you don't mind, leave us alone".

"Fine" he replied with no trace of having taken his disdain as something personal "stick to the rules or you will regret it".

Max took advantage of this last exchange to take out her phone and leave it on the table, taking a quick peek at the lock screen's clock. They were good.

"What an annoying habit," Jefferson said, taking a reproach-filled look at the phone. "Anyway, I suppose you're wondering why you're here and perhaps to a lesser extent why I've agreed with you bringing a plus one".

Max looked at him blankly, not answering his question.

"I'll take that as a yes," he replied without losing his superiority smile "When they brought me here, they showed me the evidence they had collected from my studio. Of course, I was going to identify all the pictures as mine, that is, who else could have shot such outstanding pictures? however" he said making a small pause "while indulging in my own work, something caught my attention".

Jefferson cast an expectant glance at Max, who stared back at him keeping her emotionless expression.

"All right," Jefferson muttered to himself, "You'll see, among all the binders, there was one, identical to the rest, with a name I didn't recognize. Chloe Price. I immediately said that this binder wasn't mine. I never label my binders with last names, besides I didn't know who that girl was... until I remembered. Your entry to the every day's hero contest".

"Chloe Price, my best friend."

"Whatever," he said without trying to disguise his contempt "My studio had extensive security measures and 24/7 camera surveillance. No one went in or out without my knowledge, so this is about you explaining to me what that binder was doing in my studio".

"And how am I supposed to know? I presume she was one of your targets". Max replied, maintaining her hieratic disposition.

"Oh, come on," Jefferson replied with a disdainful hand gesture, "I would never be interested in shooting _that girl"_.

Max straightened his body posture and in a calm voice, addressed him "It's so obvious to state that you're the worst teacher ever. You are a pervert, a rapist and a murderer. Probably worse than that, but still, those aren't the reasons why you're such a worthless teacher. You just said that you would never be interested in capturing Chloe, that's how you've proved you're a mediocre photographer... and there lies the problem, you're not aware of your own mediocrity".

A faint twitch appeared on Jefferson's left eyelid. Even if he was listening to Max's words with his sardonic smile, she was hitting a raw nerve.

Without giving him a chance to answer, Max continued "I admired you, I thought you were a great photographer, but that was only because I didn't know better. The most important quality in a photographer is not the technique, the style or any of the skills that are usually mentioned. An eye for beauty, that is. Chloe's not only beautiful for her looks, she's also the most wonderful human being I'll ever meet and if you can't see that, then you're a hopeless photographer. Your photography is flat, it only works on one level. Technically outstanding, I concede that, but there is no beauty, only submission, you always place yourself in a dominant position. A good photographer should never be the main character, his job is simply to look for the hidden beauty out there and capture it".

Jefferson remained silent, maintaining the patronizing rictus while his twitch accentuated.

Max took a last glance at her phone and hastened her words "By the way, why would a broke student like me invest the enormous amount of time and resources needed to circumvent the state of the art security of your studio to simply leave a binder with her best friend's name on it?".

Suddenly, an alarm thundered at the police station. Officer Berry hurriedly opened the door to the interrogation room and instructed the girls to stay in that room while they found out what was going on.

Once the Officer disappeared, Jefferson turned his head to find Max staring at him with a devilish smile.

"Have you ever played poker, Mr. Jefferson?".

"What a disappointing question, Max. Card games really?" he replied more condescendingly than usual

"Well," Max said, ignoring his reply "you know what they say. Sit at a table, look around you, if you can't spot the sucker, then you are the sucker".

In a swift motion, Max got up from the chair and moved away. Chloe grabbed the chair and with a couple of firm steps snapped it into place against the door blocking it, then she pulled out a zip tie from her jeans pocket and placed it between the handle and the latch, fastening it to further prevent the door from opening. After a couple of test pulls, satisfied with the result, she returned to Max's side.

The whole process took no more than twenty seconds, and in all that time, Jefferson said nothing, mesmerized by the non-verbal coordination.

"He's all yours, Chloe".

Jefferson managed to focus his attention just in time to watch Chloe approaching him and receive a tremendous blow to the jaw.

"This one is for all the girls in your binders".

Chloe stretched her right-hand fingers a couple of times before connecting another punch, this time in the cheekbone.

"This one is for Rachel Amber".

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" shouted Jefferson, who had not yet been able to react due to the unexpected nature of the attack.

Max took a step forward.

"I'm not done yet," Chloe said, holding her friend in place.

Chloe unloaded a last punch, more vicious than the previous ones, connecting to Jefferson's nose. The cartilage made an unpleasant sound as it broke and the table was splashed with abundant blood.

"And this one is for Max," she said, moving to one side of the table.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME, THEY ARE ASSAULTING ME" Jefferson shouted at the top of his lungs. Blood flowed down his face and with each scream, he spat more.

Max pulled the camera out of her bag and directed it at her former teacher, seeing that he was moving his head away, she made a small gesture to Chloe who took Jefferson's head and lifted it so Max could photograph it.

"This probably isn't what you expected when we agreed to work on a project together" she said as she stored the photo in her bag "Do you remember when I told you that I wouldn't capture you if you ever found yourself in a moment of desperation?... well, I lied to you".

A sound of hurried strides was heard on the other side of the door, moments later someone tried to open the door unsuccessfully. "WHAT IS GOING ONE? OPEN THE DOOR," Agent Something said from outside the room.

Max grabbed Jefferson firmly by his shirt's collar and pulled him towards her "listen, motherfucker, it's not so nice to be on the other side of the camera, uh?".

"You're not getting away with this, you're assaulting a detainee at the police facility". Jefferson sputtered through the blood clogging his nose.

"Don't worry, I've got it all under control, because, you know? I created all this," she said as she gestured across the room, "you're exactly where I want you to be, I've always been several steps ahead of you" she added as she reinforced her grip "and now, I want you to listen to me carefully. Very soon, you'll find yourself held by arms and legs while the first Alpha Male fucks you. With every thrust inside you, I want you to remember me. I want you to feel abused, raped and scared at all times, and I want you to remember that I'm the reason you're in that situation".

"You are insane".

"No, I'm not. I'm just a girl getting revenge on a monster".

"STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR, I AM GOING TO SHOOT IT OPEN". Shouted the Agent.

Without a word Chloe went to the door and leaned her back against it, occupying the whole frame. "I'm blocking the door with my body. If you shoot, you'll shoot me".

"Let it go. You're going to ruin your life, he doesn't deserve it," the Agent begged.

"You're nothing but an ant under my boot. You are alive because I allow you to live, because death is not punishment enough for you. Don't ever forget that". Max kept screaming to Jefferson's face ignoring what was going on on the other side of the door. "Every time you squirm with fear in your bunk thinking who's going to abuse you the next day, every night you can't sleep, I want you to see my fucking face".

Satisfied, Max pushed Jefferson back in his chair and gestured to her friend.

Chloe quickly moved away from the door and lunged at Jefferson holding his hand tightly. "Fasten your seat belt, you piece of shit".

With his left hand, Max grabbed Jefferson, leaning threateningly over him. "Hey sucker, you wanna know how I put the binder in your studio? You wanna know why I'm always gonna be ahead of you?".

A shot echoed through the room with a deafening noise, and Agent Something immediately stormed into the room holstering his gun. The only words he could utter were tinged with sincere concern "MAX? CHLOE? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?".

Because Max raised her right hand before he could reach them.

Chloe enjoyed her second journey through time much better than the first. Jefferson not so much.

Before his eyes, the Agent stopped. His vision still clouded by the blood and sweat that covered his eyes became even more blurry. Suddenly, as in the old projectors from his childhood, the scene seemed to roll backward. The agent walked backward until he left the room, the handle, shattered by a shot, magically repaired itself, a zip tie appeared out of nowhere only to disappear again after a while, and the chair flew through the air from the door to its initial position.

In front of a stunned Jefferson, Max appeared, looking as if she had just come back from war, bleeding heavily from her nose "I can alter time. You are going to pay for what you have done in this reality and for what you have done in other timelines I have already fixed. I'll be keeping tabs on you for the rest of my life. If you try to escape, I will come back for you; If you commit suicide, I will come back for you; and if you ask for the death penalty, I will come back for you. The only mercy you're gonna get from me is a single lifetime of abuse. If you try anything other than to submit, we will return to this point in time and I will tell you how you are going to live another whole life of suffering. Are we clear?".

Jefferson nodded in agreement before receiving a whack in the back of his head.

"Answer her. Your fucking life is in her hands, don't upset her," Chloe said contemptuously.

"I got it" Jefferson replied, spitting blood on a now clean table.

"Good boy," Max replied, "and now brace yourself for the last act of our little magic trick".

Max moved away, heading into a corner and sitting on the floor, face up to the wall. Chloe went to the door and opened it wide, shouting into the corridor "OFFICER BERRY, AGENT, PLEASE HELP, MAX IS INJURED". Then she huddled next to Max, hugging her.

Berry and Agent Something barged into the room almost immediately. Jefferson was sitting in his chair, handcuffed to the table. His face was disfigured, one side was completely swollen and bruised, his nose crooked at an unnatural angle, without a doubt broken, and his clothes and table soaked in blood.

Max and Chloe were snuggled in a corner, embracing each other. They turned around as the two men entered. Max was also bleeding profusely from her nose and her clothes were covered with blood.

"What the hell happened here," Agent Something said in obvious anger.

"It was our fault," said Chloe sheepishly as she got up to stand in front of them "When you left, Jefferson told us that he had called Max to deliver her a last message before killing himself as he didn't plan to face trial, but as she approached him, he headbutted her ferociously".

The agent turned to Jefferson in disbelief, as if his mind did not conceive such an unworthy act.

"I panicked," Chloe continued. "I pulled Max away and punched him repeatedly. I don't know...I guess I was scared and didn't think...I'm really sorry".

"THAT'S A BUNCH OF LIES," Jefferson shouted. "IT'S A TRAP, MAX CAN TRAVEL THROUGH TIME, THEY 'VE BEATEN ME AND MAX HAS REWOUND TIME. DON'T BUY HER STORY".

A dense silence took place in the room as the two law enforcement officers watched Jefferson in awe.

The scene continued with Max throwing herself into the arms of Agent Something "Please Agent" she said between sobs "he's gonna try to play crazy... after everything he's done to those girls..after what she tried to do to me, please don't let it get away with it".

Agent Something removed himself from Max with extreme delicacy, without making the slightest gesture to cleanse himself of the blood that stained his face and shirt. "Leave it in our hands. I give you my word that he will pay for everything he has done".

"DON'T BELIEVE HER LIES, SHE CAN MANIPULATE TIME". Jefferson shouted desperately.

"ENOUGH OF THAT" shouted the Agent, "your nonsense will not do you any good" Immediately afterward he turned to Officer Berry "please ensure that he returns to his cell right away, all this was a big mistake. Max and Chloe, follow me".

The two friends found themselves in a private bathroom. Agent Something handed Max a fresh towel and instructed her to wash up while he tried to put some sense into the mess.

"How's your hand?" Max said affectionately as soon as the bathroom door closed.

"Fine, a little sore but fine. It's great to live in the 2010s".

"What's that supposed to mean?".

"We have an all-powerful tool. The Internet, where you can find tutorials on almost anything, such as _how to punch someone without breaking your wrist_ ".

"Really?" Max replied quizzically.

"I can send you the youtube link if you are interested".

"No thanks, I've just had enough confrontation for the rest of my life" Max made a short pause lowering her head "so...I'm sorry you were forced to hear such aggressive words from me".

"Don't sweat it, I understand".

"I know, but still...".

"Well," Chloe replied calmly. "The point is, I totally get it. It's not about the other girls, it's not even about what he did to you. All your fury against him is because of what he did to me. Putting him in jail for life and preventing him from hurting anyone else would have been enough, but not after he shot me".

Max didn't answer, but she looked away in shame.

"Gimme," Chloe said as she took the towel off her hands.

With an exquisite softness, Chloe dipped a towel end in water and started wiping the blood off Max's face.

"You know? After all, if you're a pirate, sooner or later you'll have to make someone walk the plank".

"Oh, so we're pirates?".

"Careful there," Chloe said as she lifted her chin and scrubbed a bit of dried blood. "Of course we are".

"At least, you've fulfilled your childhood dream".

Chloe dipped the towel in water again and wiped a little more in silence. "We're done," she said leaving the towel in the sink.

Moving closer to her, Chloe ran her index finger along Max's jaw line "Being a pirate is great, but that's not what I've always wished for since I was a kid".

Chloe moved her finger across her friend's face, reaching her lips. Max closed her eyes and took a deep breath, minimally parting her lips, it was the subtlest possible gesture, but it was unequivocally, an invitation.

"How is it going in there?". A couple of knocks on the door and Officer Berry's voice, broke the moment.

Still staring at Max, Chloe answered: "we're ready, we'll be right out".

With a slight gesture pointing outward, Chloe took her hand away from her friend "come on, they're waiting for us".

Agent Something was waiting for them in a small office that had been set up for his use and probably doubled as a meeting room. As they entered, he gestured for them to take their seats and offered them food and drink, which the girls refused.

"I will briefly explain to you what has happened. I don't need to remind you that you are still bound by the confidentiality agreement and how seriously we deal with these agreements in my line of work".

The two girls nodded silently.

"The alarm sounded because a device was triggered. What do we know about that device? Well, the first investigations tell us that it emits some kind of PEM. It was placed next to the camera control, so we suspected its objective was to disable the cameras. Besides that, it had a temporizer that apparently worked perfectly, so whoever installed it wanted it to go off right when it did. We have been able to trace the origin of the device back to a military depot, but it appears to be listed as retired from active use, from there the trail goes cold... hat's what we know. What we don't know is who could have installed it in here without raising suspicions, and what or who the real objective was. Are you interested in my opinion?".

Again, they both nodded without a word.

"I think it was an inside job. Jefferson and Prescott have worked together, at least in the bunker construction, not to mention Nathan's mentoring. The FBI has known for a long time that ABPD is in Prescott's hands except for honorable exceptions" Agent Something paused and looked at Officer Berry who returned a small grimace "what I don't understand is why involving you? I am not sure if besides assaulting you he had planned something else that didn't go through or maybe he actually wanted to commit suicide... It doesn't matter now. He is going to spend the rest of his life without seeing the sun and under suicide watch. Not a nice prospect".

Acknowledging that the briefing was over Chloe stood up and spoke to him "Agent, I won't deny what I've done, if you want to press charges I'll accept it".

Agent Something looked at Chloe up and down with an indecipherable expression.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, your police record gives me gives me a totally different impression than the one you give me in person".

"I guess I had a few tough years, I can't deny it either, it's there, on paper".

"That's what I thought," the agent replied, arcing an eyebrow "In any case, the cameras are fried, we don't have any image of what happened since the device was activated... all we have is no less than ten agents willing to testify that Jefferson self-injured himself to fabricate an absurd story about time travel". Agent Something paused to look alternately at the two girls with a smile on his face "ten officers and an FBI Agent".

* * *

The Agent watched as the two girls moved away from the exterior of the police station towards the parking lot. Once they had disappeared from his sight, he went to the locker rooms, which occasionaly acted as makeshift infirmary. Jefferson was lying on a stretcher, handcuffed and connected to a vial. "Everybody out, now," he said in an imperative tone.

Leaning over the stretcher, Agent Something spoke very slowly "not only are you one of the worst sickos I have ever met, but you are also the only cocksucker who has dared to assault a young girl in police premises. I know a lot of people and I assure you that your life in prison is going to be a lot harder than it could have been". With a sneer, the agent stared at Jefferson "now you're fucked up, but don't worry, you're going to be the fanciest fuck doll in the whole West Coast".

* * *

The two girls walked silently to the car. They were obviously thrilled with the result, but there were so many different factors at once that they needed a little time to assimilate it. Or at least that's what Max thought, because Chloe was totally on another track.

When they reached the truck, Chloe didn't head for the driver's side. Instead she stood next to Max and when she tried to open the door on her side she stopped her by interposing her arm.

"What's wrong?" Max nervously asked.

"What happened last week? I know there are parts you haven't shared with me".

"I told you everything, Rachel, the storm, my trip to another time line... everything".

"No," Chloe replied sharply, "I'm not talking about that. What happened last week between us?".

"Oh," Max replied, suddenly feeling the weight of the whole world on her shoulders "I've been keeping that to myself waiting to get all our troubles out of the way, but I guess there are things that can't be ignored, I think we should go somewhere and talk calmly".

"We're not going anywhere," Chloe replied "I assume that maybe I am risking this thing we have between us, but it's eating me from the inside out. I'm...I'm a total mess".

"Here?" replied Max incredulously, "in the middle of a parking lot in front of the police station?".

"It's as fucking good a place as any other... Please Max, whatever it is I want you in my life, it's just...I need to know".

"Fine" Max said realizing her friend wasn't going to give up "You see, the thing is, even though it seems ridiculous, we didn't have time and ...".

 **To be continued.**


	17. The menu

"Yeah, it's definitely ridiculous... we didn't have time," Max said pensively "It's so weird. I was the same person, I wished for the same and yet it all happened so differently... Since our first conversation... I was terrified about your reaction, hey, it wasn't that bad don't feel bad about it, a little guilt-tripping Chloe-style and that was it. We reconnected immediately, Max and Chloe together again... I was so...wow to have my friend back, still, I was afraid of...I guess I was afraid of myself. Deep down inside me, I'd always known it, I mean, there's no way to explain my years in Seattle without considering how I subconsciously felt about you. The thing is, it's always been like this, being around you makes me feel strong, secure, so I let myself go and then...yeah...figures it was too much to ask for a week for that started with a shooting and time-related powers to be quiet...we hung out together, we discovered Rachel's secret life and her final demise, Jefferson set us up; he kidnapped and abused me, he shot you... we also enjoyed freaky anomalies and I traveled through time, even to different realities. In short, not the typical week of a senior in a boarding academy".

Max paused. She was calm, almost as if she was confessing to herself "amid all this mess, we got closer, drawn towards each other by an irresistible force. From day one you had a flirty disposition towards me, but there was Rachel, that made me feel very insecure and I didn't know what to make of my feelings for you...then the morning after the pool, you dared me to kiss you".

"Did I?" Chloe asked.

"Actually you double-dared me".

"So?" Chloe asked avidly.

"Like I said, being close to you gives me more initiative".

"Oh".

"There's something you need to know, that was my first kiss... and it didn't go too smooth because you immediately stepped aside and joked about it".

Chloe looked down, mortified.

 _fuckfuckfuck.  
_

"I'm sorry, Max, I...".

"It's okay," Max said with a kind smile "last week I was same old Max from our childhood. I don't think you expected me to kiss you and in any case that didn't drive us away, on the contrary, every moment I spent with you was magical...until we found ourselves in the lighthouse, overlooking the Bay with a tornado threatening all the people we care about. You asked me to let you die...I kissed you, this time you kissed me back and said you would always love me...you know the rest. I broke my word, I couldn't let you die".

"Because you love me... besides all your reasons, you love me".

"Love you?" she replied, staring at her "That feels far too poor to describe... when I returned to the bathroom I was supposed to let you die. I pictured myself living the rest of my life without you, in this state of eternal withdrawal and I couldn't... this immense void, no... you're just too precious to me. You asked me if I love you and the answer is that I'm totally and completely fascinated by your...what was that you said in Kate's room?...yeah, your awesome self, that's it. I look at you and I just can't believe you wanna be friends with me, many fucking years have passed and I feel exactly the same as when I was a child, like you're that unreachable Goddess who for some strange reason is by my side...it's so hard to describe...you make me feel like the most special person on earth. Of course, I love you, but that's not it, I'm so absolutely mesmerized by you, for who you are... it's...it's... all my friggin' life I've loved you and I wasn't even aware. I wanted to wait until Saturday, to leave this week behind us because we still have work to do and Rachel's topic is still very recent, but you asked, I'm talking to you and it seems that all my life has been this long straight line inevitably guiding me to this point where I'm telling you what you've always meant to me...and I have to do it because it's the honest thing to do, even though I'm terrified that because of me saving you, you feel forced to whatever you choose to do... or that you realize that I'm not a good person, because I'm not. I'm selfish. Selfish as in, you are all I care about over any other logical consideration and selfish as in I would take a bullet for you before letting you die because I couldn't stand living in a world without you...so you haven't risked our relationship by asking me, I'm the one who's taking a risk by telling you how much I love you. Look I know that time is the most ruthless enemy and it changes everything, I also know that I am too young to say that I will always love you no matter what, but I think that after spending 5 years thinking about you every day, and a week in hell I'm entitled to say so... and if that's what it takes, I'll make time my bitch just to be with you, because you are all I've ever wanted and you're all I'll ever want".

Max took a long sigh, keeping her eyes on Chloe the whole time "and this is the longest I've ever spoken in like...forever, there's nothing else I can tell you... so love me or don't, but that's not gonna change how I feel about you".

Chloe just stood there staring at Max with an indecipherable expression for what seemed an eternity but most certainly was far less, because Chloe still looked young and Max was still breathing, though not much.

After an indeterminate lapse of time, Chloe finally spoke and her words weren't what could be expected.

"Max...I'll always be with you".

It wasn't an _I feel the same way about you_ , it wasn't even a meager _I like you_ , but it wasn't a _no_ either, and that's what Max decided to cling to. Because if there was one thing she could be sure of, it was that Chloe was the most loyal person and in the worst possible scenario they'd still be together.

To grow old next to Chloe, even if she never felt the same way didn't seem like such a bad prospect. After all, there were many potential worse outcomes.

Like Chloe not wanting to see her anymore.

Or Chloe dying. _Not if I'm still breathing, not on my watch._

Chloe remained staring at Max in silence.

And just when Max feared that Chloe would visibly dehydrate, her skin became paper and ultimately turn into dust and the environment that surrounded them succumbed to the fate described in the discovery channel documentaries, she spoke again.

"Let's eat something, you've lost a lot of blood".

* * *

Chloe held the door for Max and headed for their usual booth with her gaze fixed on the back of the dinner.

Max didn't quite know what to expect. Chloe had remained silent since she poured her soul out, not even looking at her. The truck ride had been particularly uncomfortable, with Max looking out her side window unsure how to deal with Chloe's shutdown and now, sitting in front of her and waiting for Joyce to take their order, the situation had not improved.

"My two favorite girls," Joyce said leaving aside her professional pose and using a decidedly personal touch "what can I get you?".

"Can I have the menu, ma'am?" Chloe inmediately answered.

"Chloe?" her mother replied puzzled at the unusual request.

"Please," she insisted.

"What's wrong?". When her daughter failed to provide an answer, Joyce turned to Max who, with a slight gesture, indicated that she had no idea what was going on.

"Nothing's wrong, I just want the menu," Chloe finally said "I'm here, sitting with Max, who is and has always been my best friend, the person who hurt me the most and also the person I have been in love with for my whole life. It turns out she just told me how she feels about me but she's got one thing wrong, she told me, she feels like the most special person on earth, but that position is already claimed, because she's always known she had a thing for me, but I never did, I thought she'd forgotten me. So I've lost what mattered most to me only to get it back, that gives me a bonus and that's like...the hella best thing that has ever happened to me. Which brings me to the fact that I've made more mistakes than I can remember and I'm like the king and queen of missed opportunities, maybe I've had to go through all that to appreciate what it means to be here with Max right now... or maybe my life has also been a straight line that brought me to this point... honestly, I couldn't care less. All I know is this is the chance I'm not going to miss. I'm fully aware this isn't the place and it's not even the right time of the day, but I don't care, because this is a date, it's my first date and it's with the one person I'd always hoped to have my first date with... no one's going to fucking take that away from me, so, please, can you bring me the menu?".

That was another sad truth about our beloved Chloe Price. She had never been on a date.

Not with the guy who punched her v-card.

Not with the second guy (who went on to posterity with the unglamorous name of back-seat guy).

And decidedly, not with Rachel.

But Chloe had watched, if only in between switching channels, enough 90's romantic comedies to know that a date should be a dinner in a fancy place with candles, white wine, a nice tablecloth and a menu with the names in French if the budget was high or Italian if the pocket was tighter.

They were seating, honestly speaking, in a greasy dinner, the menu was sticky and written in English and it was too early for dinner and too late for lunch. None of that mattered, it was her first date and it was with Max.

The future brought them more dates, many more, even if it took some time for them to be able to have a quiet date again. For now, let's focus on what happened not in the second, not in the third, not even in the fourth, but after the fifth date, when the two girls were lying on Chloe's bed, barely dressed, cursing at the lack of intimacy and the sheets felt like a sea aflame. Chloe turned around and looked at Max, who simply smiled back. Chloe didn't want to die, not with Max back in her life, but she could swear that if the sky opened up right there and a bolt of lightning scorched her, she would have gone away knowing what it was like to feel complete. With such a simple gesture all her barriers finally melted away and she confessed amidst tears, that she would always be a flawed person, that the pain she had suffered was so deep that she could never be fixed, she would always be an insecure and fearful person.

Max listened to her kindly and when she was done she just smiled again and told her that everything was going to be all right, because they had each other.

Chloe realized in that moment that no matter how much you think you love a person, it's always possible to love them more.

When they finally left Arcadia Bay, six months later than they were supposed to, Chloe had already decided what she wanted to do, she pursued her choice and kept doing her thing until she retired, enjoying it more than would be expected considering that a job is a job and a hobby is something else. Max for her part studied photography and ended up being a photographer because after all, you can only alter destiny so much and maybe it's not convenient to piss off too much whichever God is out there. At no point during her long career, she was among the top five photographers in the country but she easily remained in a solid top 20, perhaps even in different moments top 10. That was more than enough for her, and if I may be permitted to offer my humble opinion, I do agree with her. There are many excellent photographers out there and being considerd among them is more than enough achievement.

Max traveled a lot for her work. Whenever she could she brought Chloe along. However, many times, at first for lack of funds and later because they had children, Max traveled alone. And every single night that Max didn't sleep next to Chloe, without exception, she called her to wish her goodnight and tell her that she loved her. And every time, Chloe asked why she called because she already knew it, then se explained that she was fine, that the kids were fine and that she missed her...and she loved her.

And entangled in that private dance, the years passed and the two girls became old women, always together.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because these kinds of stories always leave me sad knowing that Max and Chloe will inevitably grow and change as we all do. But please, not them, let them live in their own fort, keeping the world away. Forever young, forever in love.

And because there is still history to tell in this fic, and you still have to decide if this is the Max and Chloe story or it's just one more round of the infinite loop that Max created defying all universal laws just to be forever with Chloe.

So let's go back to the moment when Joyce stared at her daughter, keeping her composure, trying to fight the lump in her throat and in her most professional voice she answered: "I'll bring you your menu right away, miss".

Chloe reached out on the table. Max stared at the offered hand and instead of holding it, she got up and sat next to Chloe, really close but trying to keep things for general audiences, because we have already established that Arcadia Bay was not New York, but it was not Amsterdam either.

To finish this chapter and avoid anyone accusing me of introducing a cliffhanger I will simply state that when Joyce came back with the menu and puffy red eyes, the girls were lost in themselves and not that hungry. They ended up ordering fries and a milkshake (large, two straws please) and in future years they remembered that milkshake as the best they'd ever tasted.

And since we're explaining everything, the milkshake was terrible. Not only the two whales dinner was not famous for their milkshakes, average at their best, but Joyce also personally made them so she could hide in the kitchen and cry, knowing that her daughter would be fine. And between the tears, the hiccups and wiping her nose, she didn't get it right with the ingredients.

But hey, who cares about milkshakes if you have real love.


	18. Toluca Lake

"Wowsers! This place is packed".

"Really? Wowsers? I haven't heard that one in a long time". Chloe replied incredulously, turning only slightly to her friend. She had never been a reckless driver, not after what happened with her father (a whole different story were her parking habits) but for a couple of days, she'd been taking safe driving even more seriously.

Without pretending to sound like justification, the Two Whales parking was, actually, crowded. To the point that Dana and Juliet had to move everyone aside so Chloe could park.

With a cursory glance, Max determined that her call had been a success. All the girls in her dorm except for Alyssa and, of course, Victoria, were there. In addition, Warren, Justin, Trevor, and Daniel were roaming around clearly waiting for instructions.

Chloe parked with a smooth maneuver and made a beeline to the passenger side of her truck. She didn't go as far as to open the door for Max, but she waited for her to step out, clinging to her side the same second she got out of the truck and thus, getting different reactions from the rest of the people gathered around.

Most of those present had already seen Max and Chloe together, although, without a context in which to place it, that could be due to many reasons, including coincidence. However, the current situation left no room for doubt, they were both friends, and apparently, close friends, because Max had told Juliet that she was spending the night at a friend's house and meeting them in the diner.

"There you are". Dana cheered as soon as the girls approached the group.

"Sorry. I know you, but I can't remember your name. You used to hang around Blackwell a lot, I've seen you... with the skater guys". Juliet had approached them, speaking to Chloe as a welcome gesture. She was trying to be friendly, while at the same time tiptoeing over other, let's say, more complicated issues.

"The name's Chloe, and you've seen me with Rachel, we were friends".

"You were the one putting up the missing person posters," Dana said, genuinely struck "I'm really sorry".

Everybody else approached Chloe, even Taylor and Courtney who were staying a little apart. Except for a couple of timid "I'm sorry" nobody spoke individually, but the intention was clear.

Chloe felt all eyes fixed on her. A little unsettled with the over-attention, she turned to Max, who offered her a comforting smile.

 _God, that smile._

"Er...thank you, guys. So... Rachel didn't deserve what happened to her, luckily Jefferson and Nathan will pay for what they've done. Either way, I think the best tribute we can pay her is to get this show going. I'm sure if she could...yeah...she'd be here now, all over the place".

"You're right," Dana replied,"Rachel was like that, all the more reason to do it, come on, let's go inside".

Max went to meet Taylor and Courtney as they all headed for the diner. Kate took the opportunity and lightly pushed aside Chloe, talking to her with a little more privacy "You're beaming".

"Excuse me?" Chloe replied pretending not to understand her.

Kate raised her eyebrow slightly, in a gesture that only she could carry out. Clearly denoting that she wasn't buying Chloe's crap and at the same time being respectful.

"Ok," Chloe said in surrender, lowering her tone.

"So I was right, it was a date".

"No, not really. It's a little more than complicated than that, we could say last night was our first date".

"I'm happy for you, you deserve each other".

"Yeah, thanks, Max and I... is it that obvious?".

"Well, I've just noticed the change in you, Max is as usual".

"Oh," Chloe was somewhat disappointed.

"Yes," she replied amused, "as usual around you".

"And that would be...".

"But you know that," Kate said, enjoying the moment "like she's got everything she could wish for".

"Dang, Kate," Chloe said moving away to hide the blush on her face. With hesitation, she lifted her head and looked around, checking that no one was aware of their conversation "there's something... I know it's weird to say, it's just...Max was my first crush and when she left, I thought ...what I mean is that I've never really stopped loving her. I want you to know that this thing between us...I mean, our commitment goes far beyond a simple hookup".

"I can only imagine".

"Shit... I know it's stupid to say, I'm 19 and Max is even younger, I've never been out of Arcadia Bay...maybe I just want to say it out loud to someone else who is not her. And so it happens that I just met you and I feel like you are the person I should tell".

Kate returned a curious look to Chloe. "I think it does make sense, I also have my share of weird stuff to share. The day you came to my room, I felt like I knew you from before. Maybe God's plan for me included the three of us, or maybe..." Kate emitted a chuckle "What was the word Max mentioned?, maybe I'm part of your Ka-tet".

Chloe gave her a surprised expression to which Kate replied, chuckling again "you see, maybe you two are already rubbing off on me".

"I don't know about rubbing off, I don't see myself going to church anytime soon, I haven't been back since my father... anyway I don't think they wanted me there".

"This may surprise you coming from me, but you don't need to go to church to be a good person".

"I'm not..."

"Sush" Kate interrupted "you can't help being what you are, come on inside, Max is waiting for us".

The two girls joined the rest of the group that was crowding right in front of the entrance of the Two Whales. Max joined the other two girls and all three let everyone in before entering the diner, where they were greeted by an unexpected sight.

Victoria was sitting in the booth closest to the bathroom.

It might seem like a minor issue, but it wasn't at all, because her mere presence threw away a bunch of unwritten rules in Blackwell, such as the one stating that Victoria never waited for anyone, she is waited for and also the one regarding Victoria never attended any event organized by other students, she organized her own events.

All by herself, with a coffee in her hand and nervously scratching the inside of her left-hand thumb (ruining her immaculate manicure), Victoria Chase pulled the whole of Blackwell into uncharted territory.

Apparently, the box of surprises was full to the brim, because upon seeing them enter, Victoria stood up and addressing Kate, she bowed her head and mumbled a single "I'm sorry".

In contrast to the noise in the rest of the diner, a leaden silence fell over the area they were occupying.

Without knowing how to react, the whole group remained silent, motionless, until Kate, who was in the farthest point from Victoria, made her way across the bunch of people and stopped right in front of her.

With exquisite delicacy, she placed her index finger under Victoria's chin and lifted her face up until they were at eye level. Kate smiled, and in a clear, loud voice for everyone to hear, she simply said, "I forgive you."

"I..." Victoria tried to speak but the lump in her throat blocked her. Seeing that her eyes were also reddening, Kate lunged at her and embraced her tightly, caressing her back until Victoria stopped shaking. When she was sure that Victoria was calmer, and not before, Kate separated from her and turned to the others to face a collection of dropped jaws.

"I forgive Victoria. I hope if anyone else has a problem with her they'll be willing to do the same because she took on Max's call when the easy way out was not to come at all. It takes a lot of courage to do what she has done...and now please, there's a lot to do, let's put aside our personal problems".

As if coming out of a trance, Dana and Juliet were the first to react, asking Taylor for help in bringing more chairs for everyone to sit down. After a few arrangements, everyone was swirling around that corner of the diner, notably, Kate next to Victoria with Dana and Juliet in front, Taylor and Courtney sitting in foldable chairs beside that booth and Max and Chloe, still glued to each other in a couple of stools by their side. The remaining ones were divided between the closer booth, and several chairs and stools, closing the circle around Victoria.

Juliet ordered coffee and waffles for everyone and waited for the food to come, before she raised her voice "I suppose you all have figured out why we're here," she said to the attentive eyes of her friends. "You all know about the beached whales and dead birds from this morning, including those last happenings, at this point every prediction in the message has been fulfilled. Max was the one who asked you to come here this morning, but since this was initially Dana's and mine idea, we'll be the ones explaining the plan".

Juliet directed a smile at Max and continued "Yesterday, after learning about Jefferson's arrest... and everything else," she hesitated when referring to such a sensitive subject "we all started exchanging texts. Max was the one that brought up the storm. If everything had happened according to the message, Arcadia Bay was going to be razed to the ground. Immediately we understood that we had to do something about it. This morning has only confirmed our point".

Juliet paused and looked around before continuing "The situation is as follows: tonight, in theory, we will be able to see a double moon and tomorrow a storm will sweep Arcadia Bay. The first thing we need to make clear is that if anyone has doubts about it they should raise them now".

Warren, sitting next to the other guys in the booth next to Victoria's, raised his hand at once.

"Warren?" Juliet said.

"This storm thing seems scientifically impossible to me, at the same time, if I balance the options, it seems much more unlikely that a message sent on Monday, would predict with total success stuff as random as snow in October, an unforeseen eclipse or that a crime of six months ago would be solved just on the day predicted...what I mean to say is that the foretold events are so unpredictable and so unconnected to each other that I have no way of providing a logical explanation. I don't know if we are voting or not, but even if I cannot understand it, I think we must do something".

"Does anyone else want to say anything?" Dana added.

"I don't intend to speak on behalf of anyone else" Courtney intervened "but I think the fact that we're all here except for Alyssa indicates that we all agree. As I think everybody does to a greater or lesser extent, I find the storm hard to believe but as Warren said, the alternative is much more unlikely, so I say go ahead".

"I agree" Juliet answered, "and for the record, Max, what's your beef with Alyssa?".

"What do you mean?" Max replied confused.

"First thing in the morning someone knocks on my door, I open it to find Alyssa in front of me asking what today's meeting is about. I explain it to her and she tells me she prefers to stay out of it. I insist, but she keeps saying no until I mention Max. Then she reacts and asks me what is your involvement in the whole thing. I explain to her that it was our idea, but you helped to shape it, and that we asked that you were the one coordinating..." Juliet emitted contained laughter remembering the moment "She immediately straights up and tells me that if Max has something to do with it, count on her. I swear you guys, she was just one step away from rendering a military salute, you know" Juliet made a military salute and in the best imitation of Alyssa she could manage she added "Alyssa Anderson reporting for duty".

After a couple of reprimands from the waitress for the laughter and fuss the comment had caused (Max had made sure Joyce wasn't working the morning shift before proposing the Two Whales as a meeting place) Juliet continued "Alyssa may not be here, but she's the first one that's been set in motion, I think it's only fair that we all know".

"Alyssa and I are friends, I've helped her a couple of times in some... situations, nothing else." Max offered by way of explanation.

"That sounds just like your thing," Taylor suddenly said.

"I..." Max stuttered in surprise at Taylor's comment.

"Let's not deviate from the case," interrupted Kate as she came to the rescue of her friend. "What's Alyssa doing?".

"First we should explain our plan". Dana said, "Basically, it's about evacuating Arcadia Bay, we didn't find any other feasible solution".

Again silence was made over the group until Warren again spoke: "and how are we supposed to do that".

"The question is that 90% of the work is already done" Juliet replied "everyone knows what the message says, it's in the local media since monday after the snow, and already on national TV. How many calls from outside town have you received these days asking what was going on?". A chorus of nods followed Juliet's question. "it would be impossible to try to convince an entire town in one day, even if it is as small as this one, fortunately, that's not the case".

"I understand, but how are we _actually_ going to do it?" Brooke said with her usual disdain as she looked towards the parking lot. "I hope you haven't thought about evacuating town by our own means, because what we have here is a reverse Toluca lake situation".

"Uh? reverse Toluca lake?" Dana asked. And that question could have been raised by any of them because everyone was wondering where that came from

"Yeah, that old movie, you know, _Toluca Lake. It's thirty minutes away. I'll be there in ten,_ with these junkers over there" Brooke said pointing to the spot where Chloe's truck was parked next to Warren's car "is gonna be more like _Toluca Lake. It's thirty minutes away. I'll be there in an hour_ ". _  
_

"Watch out" Chloe snapped in an angry yet playful tone "I don't know about Waldo's shit bucket, but my trusty truck would take Maxi and me to Toluka Lake faster than any of your fancy-ass rides".

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Victoria. And not just those of Taylor and Courtney who had witnessed Victoria's car bravado on Monday confrontation, because everyone at Blackwell was familiar with the sight of Victoria Chase stepping out of her state-of-the-art premium German car.

Said pinnacle of style just shrugged and said "who cares about fucking Toluca Lake anyway?, we've got a bigger fish to fry".

Before the general amazement (again) and Max's secret glee, Victoria asked, "Brooke's got a point, junkers or not, what do you have in mind?".

Juliet and Dana looked at each other. With the simple frown of the former Dana knew they had conversation topics (gossip) until the end of senior year, but Victoria was right, time was short and there was a lot to do.

"Our plan is very simple, each of us knows different people. We have to convince those closest to us to leave Arcadia Bay on Friday morning" Dana explained.

"Just like that?" Victoria asked with a neutral expression.

"It may not seem like a workable plan at first," Juliet hastened to add, "but as we have already said, 90% of the work is done, everyone already knows what we are talking about. If we are wrong they have simply spent a day away from home, but if we are right we have saved their lives".

"Yes" added Dana trying to reinforce the idea "and Arcadia Bay is a small town, we can reach everyone, for example, Alyssa. Apparently there's a book club in the area".

"A book club?" Taylor asked incredulously.

"600 members only in Arcadia Bay" Stella, who was probably the closest person to Alyssa interrupted, "and Alyssa is one of the administrators of the web site, she can reach many people, not just that because in turn each of the members knows more people...I see what you're getting at".

"That's the idea," Max said "Let's introduce ourselves as what we are, a simple group of students from the local academy, many of us are from out of town but we're worried about Arcadia Bay. All we're asking is, as a precaution, to leave their homes a single night, and I'm sure that, together, we can reach a lot more people than we think. For example, Warren, who can you talk to?".

Warren straightened up in his seat with a goofy smile on his face. Max's first choice. In his head, it sounded spectacular.

"There's a science club".

"Come on, Warren", Brooke scolded him "you're in a lot of nerdy stuff groups".

"Many of these groups are not at the local level," he replied, as a defense.

"It's okay," Max mediated, "Warren, we trust your judgment, the idea is clear, reach out the maximum number of people with the request that on Friday they leave Arcadia Bay just for the night".

"Let's make a list, any idea is welcomed". Juliet added.

Some ten minutes later, Dana had a promising list. Of course all the students and staff at Blackwell, but as they asked all of the presents, one by one, they realized the value of networking. Stella's weekend co-workers, Kate's church and her colleagues in meals on wheels even Justin committed to talking to his mother and all the potheads. The only one frowning trying to go unnoticed was Victoria.

"Now that we know what to do, how do we organize ourselves?". Warren demanded.

"Juliet and I thought we'd ask Max to help us coordinate efforts. She was very willing to help from the first minute and she gets along with all of you, is that okay with everybody?". Dana questioned.

Since no one objected, Max cleared her throat and spoke. "This is something that affects us all. The Jefferson business has hit us all one way or another, for some of us, it's been even harder because they've been even more involved personally in the matter. It is amazing how many stuff is happening around us in the space of very few days, and so it seems there is still the most complicated part left. Like the rest of you, I don't understand what's going on, or why we're in the middle of this situation, the only certainty I have is that we can't sit back and do nothing, so we're going to do everything in our power to keep the people of Arcadia Bay safe, and if Friday comes and nothing happens, at least we'll know we did the best we could".

"If there's no storm on Friday, they'll be talking about it for years," Brooke chuckled "class of '13, biggest losers in Blackwell story".

"I wish it was like that, just too many coincidences". Max answered.

"I know," Brooke replied, "it's...too much, we're supposed to be enjoying our senior year and instead we're taking on a responsibility that's not ours".

"There's something else, the message. It's been investigated. It originated in Blackwell's computer room" Juliet explained.

"You need a code to access any computer, you just have to look at the time stamp to track the origin" Warren intervened "why haven't they made it public yet?".

"Because they don't know. They've checked several times, they've even brought in computer consultants from out of town. The message is not there and a second later, boom, originated from a computer in which there is no trace left. This is also one of the things that Max, Dana and I discussed".

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"The message originates in our academy, before becoming viral is sent to Blackwell users list. Somehow it seems that it has to do with us, it's like someone is telling us that we should step in". Dana answered.

"Yeah, it's not too far-fetched" Courtney agreed.

"Well, if all is clear, let's get going now," Max said "everyone knows what they have to do. As for the organization, I thought about Dana being the main ground coordinator, She's got what it takes to do a brilliant job".

Trevor raised his hand immediately and hesitantly said "big boobs?".

Max looked at him dumbfounded. "No! I meant everybody loves her".

"Everybody likes big boobs also, you've got the whole male sector on your side with that" Trevor answered.

"I couldn't care less about her boobs". Max replied "She's a great girl, that's what I was implying".

"So you don't care about my boobs? You don't like them?" Dana replied amused.

"It's not that... I don't even know what they look like," Max answered clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"We do share a bathroom".

"But I don't stare!". Max was severely blushing to Dana's boldness.

"I do" Juliet intervened to bring even more confusion "I've seen them thousands of times and I still stare at them always, the best I've ever seen".

"Agreed," Taylor said.

"Sure thing" Stella joined in "Dana's boobs are serious stuff.

Max looked around for help. Chloe was enjoying the moment, thank Dog in silence, because a joking remark from her would be the worst thing that could possibly have happened to her at that moment.

"Look, I'm able to appreciate nice boobs just like anybody else, but maybe we're drifting off the subject" Kate came to the rescue, although her intervention was not exactly what could have been expected from the shy and reserved girl and the fact that her comment was made with a mischievous smile denoted the playful intention "Can we please hold off on the subject for another time?".

Warren and Daniel looked at each other, and in unison answered: "can we please not?".

"Come on, let's drop it, my ego's already sufficiently pumped. Max, forgive me for pushing the joke at your expense and thank you for trusting me with this one" raising her voice, Dana looked around "Guys, you all have my number, have your phone and charger handy at all times, keep the group updated and contact me with any questions you may have".

"Thank you Dana" Max replied in a more relaxed way, "I'm taking care of the logistics, but I'll need someone to help us".

"Us?" Warren asked with a certain hope.

"Wherever she goes, I go". Chloe said bluntly.

"Yeah, that's right, it works the other way around, too". Max caught a glimpse of Courtney staring at Chloe with a half a smile before turning to Victoria, "would you mind helping us?".

"Me?" Victoria answered honestly surprised by the request.

"They say you host the best parties, we could use someone with great management skills".

"They say?" Victoria replied slightly offended but without abandoning the non-belligerent approach.

"Truth is I've never been invited to one, so I have to trust what _they say_ ".

Victoria frowned at her. Once again she had beaten her, this time in front of the whole Blackwell. Victoria weighed her following words, she was convinced that Max wasn't trying to embarrass her "We'll have to take care of that matter in the future".

"I'd love to go to one of your parties when all this is over".

"We have a deal, with full access to the VIP area" Victoria hesitated for a second before correcting herself "on second thoughts, maybe we should reconsider the whole VIP area topic, after all, we are all VIP. What do you think, Taylor?".

"We're all VIP," Taylor replied without hesitation.

"That's right, we should all feel comfortable...and safe" Victoria added looking at Kate, "I'll take care of it".

"We're leaving," Dana said standing up. "Everybody find a ride back, I'm going to ask for the bill".

"It's already paid for," Victoria said.

"How come?" Dana asked.

"Before you came I asked the waitress to put everything you ordered on my tab".

"Tori" Max said amused, "I highly doubt that you have a tab here, I even dare to say this is the first time you came to this diner".

Victoria mumbled at the mention of Tori, but refrained from commenting on it "You know what I mean".

"Of course I know I was just teasing you, thank you very much. Anyway, would you mind staying with us a little longer? I want to discuss some ideas with you".

"No problem, not that I have much to do with classes and activities being suspended".

Dana began to lead the group to the door, but Warren went over to Max like a bolt. "Max, you've got a ride back? I can stay with you and drive you later. Victoria can drive Chloe".

 _Oh man_

Before the situation escalated, Courtney approached them and grabbed Warren (literally) by the neck, taking him away from Max "Warren, Taylor and I need a ride to Blackwell".

"But Max..." Warren babbled.

"She'll be fine, she's already got company".

Warren hesitated, and Courtney pulled his neck again, "We've got a lot to do".

"Ok" Warren granted without much conviction "I'll text you later Max".

"That's for sure," Chloe replied under her breath.

When the last of the cars left the Two Whales parking lot, Victoria turned to Max, ready to talk.

"Wait," Max said. "I think we'd better order another round of coffee before".


	19. The cavalry

Victoria sipped her coffee gently, delighting in its bitterness (black, no sugar) anticipating the much-needed caffeine shot before it got to her brain.

"Max, your plan is bullshit".

"I know," she answered calmly, as she drank from her mug with a half-smile.

"You know?" she acknowledged, not even trying to conceal her indignation.

"Pretty much... yep...while Arcadia Bay is a small town, it's still a lot of people. Leaving home is a difficult call. I guess we'll manage to get a lot of people outside town, but we won't be even close to a complete evacuation".

Victoria looked at her expectantly. With no further elaboration on her part, she blurted in a desperate tone "what the fuck are we doing here".

"We wait".

"What for?".

"The cavalry".

Before she answered, and in all likelihood she was going to ornament it with wild gesticulation à la Chase, Max anticipated her, taking her hand in her own "Let it go, at the moment, there's nothing else we can do. Enjoy your coffee, I'm sure you didn't get much sleep last night and I don't think we'll get enough tonight either".

Victoria squinted at her, no doubt more than twenty poisonous replies crowded her mind. Her chest swelled with air and right when it felt like the eruption was coming, it slowly deflated in a deep breath. No inflammatory response came out of her mouth.

The girl was really trying.

"So we just wait?" she asked, marking each syllable to prevent any trace of misinterpretation.

"A perfect time to catch up, I'm sure we'll be way too busy later".

A defeated "Uff" escaped Victoria.

"I haven't had a chance to ask you how is it going with Taylor and Courtney" Max rushed to say jovially, cutting off all avenues for Victoria's complaint.

"Fine, I apologized... it looks like I'm on a roll on that one" she replied "we've talked. So much will change from now on...I...I think I've been needing a change for a long time" she hesitated after alternately staring at both girls "I'd like to thank you, for different reasons ...maybe some other time...more privately".

"Sure" Max nodded, "speaking of privacy, you're not the only one who wants to make things the right way. Since we're friends, and we're gonna keep on being so", she added with a sly smile "it's only fair that you meet her". Max turned to Chloe and made a gesture, a mixture of reverence and circus introduction. It was awkward and more than likely out of place, but it didn't matter because her gigantic proud face eclipsed any other consideration. "You know each other, but I'd like you to properly meet Chloe Price, the most important person in my life".

"That much is true, we already met". Victoria said, hiding her shock with the graceful dignity only Ms. Chase could pose.

"Not a nice story," Chloe added without a hint of emotion.

"I didn't know you guys knew each other".

Victoria indulged herself in curiosity. She had never been a nosy person, another consequence of being forced to move in the upper social circles. Her world was reduced to a dozen people give or take, no more. The rest were considered outsiders, people with a low-level rank in Blackwell's hierarchy whose lives were not worthy of attention. That was the imagery that had to be sustained, and of course, Victoria of all people, could not afford more than derogatory remarks about those people outside their circle of influence.

She hated it.

She wouldn't consider herself a good person, she didn't like a lot of those people, even putting aside all the stupid unwritten rules of the Vortex club. But some others? it was a whole different story. From the first moment, she had been especially intrigued by this mousy girl with an enormous talent for photography who shot with a birthday present camera and apparently didn't care what other people thought of her.

One of her best-kept secrets was that Victoria deeply envied that kind of freedom. And she suspected Max knew as much. Victoria was deeply disturbed by the fact that, instead of taking advantage of it, she had done nothing but support and help her asking anything in return.

Any kind of approach to said girl would have resulted in a crack in her pristine image as supreme queen, so she had kept her curiosity at bay, managing their interactions by the book (insults, mocking, humiliations, etc.). However, barely four days ago, Max out of nowhere had forced her game. Now, it seemed like a new world, a world in which she had no reason to hide her nosiness.

Max was truly an astonishing person, at that point that was abundantly certain, but referring to Chloe Price as _the most important person in her life_ was a new level of social tsunami.

And Victoria Chase wanted to know, because, among other reasons, she was, after all, only an 18-year-old girl who longed to live a normal life without any further pressure.

"I was born in Arcadia Bay, we didn't move to Seattle until I was 13, Chloe and I grew up together".

"So cute, you two were besties or something?".

"NO" the two girls answered in unison. Max and Chloe looked at each other for a brief moment, before the latter averted her gaze and fixed it back on Victoria.

"It's more than that, I met her when I was in first grade **(1)** and from then on we didn't separate anymore. To say we were BFFs is falling way too short, Chloe was my only friend. her parents considered me as their second daughter and the other way around, then..." Max's voice broke just for a second, Chloe immediately turned to her "right, yeah...Chloe's father passed away, I had to move almost immediately after and I... I failed to stay in touch with her".

The third girl was stunned by the unspoken communication unfolding before her. A simple glance from Chloe and Max had smiled comforted when her voice broke.

"Oh shit".

"Hella expressive Chase".

"The question" Max stepped in to cut off any rough words between the two girls "is that I fucked up, but I never stopped caring about my friend. Long story short, she's the reason I came back to Arcadia Bay".

"A wonderful story with a happy ending" Victoria stated with a mocking grin, although in honor of the truth it must be said that she was being only half sarcastic.

For the third time, Max took a look at Chloe and for the third time, she replied with a minimal gesture. Max reached out, wrapping Chloe's hand in her own in a manner that denoted a deep affection. "Not just that, Chloe and I are more than friends".

Victoria looked at Max weirdly for a few seconds, as if her brain didn't quite process the information it had received. Suddenly, in real-time, she pieced things together and an expression of astonishment was drawn on her face. "Wait, you two are together?".

Instead of answering, Max caressed Chloe's face.

We've already established that Victoria was staring at Max in awe.

What happened next amazed her further, much further, because Chloe Price, Blackwell's punk terror, blue-haired ogre, on feeling Max's hand on her face, closed her eyes and purred.

"Holy fuck" Victoria succeeded in saying after recomposing, "you're a dyke".

"And just when I was wondering where old Victoria Chase went, she shows up again," Max said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Nonono," Victoria tried to correct herself immediately, "I didn't mean to be offensive... I just didn't picture you were into girls".

"Well, it's not really like that. For me there hasn't been anyone else, boy or girl, it's always been Chloe, it took me a while to realize what that really meant...Anyway being with her is all I've ever wanted since we first met".

"I've already made that clear" Chloe intervened "Wherever she goes, I go. Max and I, we want the same thing, we've always wanted it" she added, keeping a straight face.

Victoria sighed deeply while staring at the two girls. "My life sucks," she finally declared.

"Classical Chase" Chloe protested right away "for whatever reason Max has been telling me for days that you're a fucking nicer person than you appear, now she trusts you with private stuff and you turn it into an issue about yourself".

"That's not it" Victoria energetically objected in a tone closer to her usual "of course I'm happy for her. It turns out we're friends, now and I'm moderately fine with it. But _your girlfriend_ here has been messing around my life for a week, and you know what? fucking Max Caulfield made me consider a lot of shit. I don't have anything anywhere close to what you have, so yeah, my life sucks and talking about trust, that's trusting you a lot".

"Nothing at all? I find it hard to believe" Max asked with a touch of worry in her voice.

"Oh, come on, you've been pushing me around like a puppet all week, you've been able to read every situation perfectly. What is so hard to believe? With whom?".

"There's a lot of people at the Vortex Club".

"OK" Victoria answered snorting "to begin with, I appreciate your fucking tact... _people_...yeah classy. Discard all the girls away because I don't bat for the same team. What do we have left? being honest, a bunch of jocks and despite what you think, I still have some intellectual standards, besides, it's not like I'm especially easy to deal with".

"What about Nathan?"Max inquired again.

"Nah, we fooled around a little, but Nate was a tormented soul ...I didn't want that for me, plus, he was too hung up on Rachel Amber".

"Seems he wasn't the only one, I think that went just as well for him as it did for the rest of us, fucking asshole" the bitterness of Chloe's comment was not lost on either of the other two girls.

"Price, you and I aren't exactly friends. I've always considered you Rachel's watchdog and it's gonna be fucking painful for me to stop associating you as such. Please, I know what Nathan did is unforgivable, but I would ask you not to talk about him like that. He deserves to spend the rest of his life locked up, but I can't help being attached to him, however pathetic it may be".

Chloe carefully considered Victoria's exercise of raw honesty. Maybe Max wasn't so wrong about her, maybe there really was something more to the queen bitch.

Fuck it. Was there ever a single time Max wasn't right?.

"You're not the only one who's pathetic, I spent years hung up on someone who didn't reciprocate and look what that got me into. I've been lucky, but who knows what might have happened to me".

"Rachel Amber" Victoria replied with a grimace "All our feuds...so meaningless now...this is a fucked-up story and we're stuck in between. I don't know about you guys, but I'm fucking fed up of this shit. I don't want it anymore. My best friend is a murderer, my rival was killed, and the fucking Vortex Club feels like a bad joke to me. I've had enough".

"I think it's the only time I've ever heard you say anything remotely meaningful in my fucking entire life". Chloe said appreciatively.

"My life really sucks, Chloe fucking Price patronizing me. As if embarrassing myself in front of the whole Blackwell wasn't bad enough... I just hit a new rock bottom".

"And remember, I took the girl home and you're by yourself" Chloe replied mockingly.

"Sure, go ahead. Don't hold back, rub it in my face. I've been bitchy for sure, but you're charging me for it plus interest".

"Ok," Chloe answered meditating her words "You're right, we're facing a situation that's bigger than us, it makes no sense for us to remain fucking hooked on old accounts". Chloe said with a certain regret.

"We should put our differences behind us, at least to avoid more fucked-up stories, we've had enough of those".

"Fucking yeah, I agree, there's hella too much crap around us already".

"Are we all on the same boat then?".

"Sure thing, Chase".

"Great".

Without ceasing to gaze at Victoria, Chloe paused briefly to continue with a shit-eating grin "but for the record, I'm the one taking the girl home".

"It was going too well," Victoria replied, pissed and amused at the same time with a smile "fuck you, Price".

"Let me take care of that". Throughout the entire conversation, Max had stood aside, letting the two other girls talk to each other and come to their own conclusions and only then had she decided to intervene. Apparently, it had been an unconscious response if we are to consider that when Victoria and Chloe turned to her, they found an absolutely blushing Max. "I mean...not right now," Max stuttered at the astonished expression on her friends' faces "I don't know...when the time comes...probably soon because I trust Chloe and she's the person I'd want to, but...I don't know...fuck, why are we even talking about this?".

Chloe, despite all odds, must have felt comfortable, because seeing her flustered girlfriend, she leaned over, muttered a "you're hella cute Max Caulfield" and kissed her in what was their first PDA.

After laughing at Max's screw-up, the conversation flowed smoother. Victoria talked about her life before Blackwell, all the luxuries money could buy, but also the loneliness and a tremendous amount of pressure to live up to her parent's expectations. Max shared stories about her childhood with Chloe and her awful time in Seattle. Chloe remained warm and friendly, but reserved, without going into too much detail. Unexpectedly, the three girls who at the beginning of the week were unable to exchange a simple greeting, spent a pleasant time, only interrupted by Max frequently checking her cell phone and sending a couple of texts.

"Which one of you is Maxine Caulfield?".

The carefree conversation was interrupted and Max looked up to face a girl a little older than herself. She was dressed informally, blond hair almost white, tied up in a ponytail which spoke of a style that aimed at functionality over style. Her face, as sunburned as her hair, bore vaguely familiar features.

"Kristine!" Victoria rose in one leap and lunged at the girl, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I should have been more attentive to Nate," she said between sobs as she buried her face in the other girl's neck.

Kristine ran her hand over Victoria's back until she calmed down, never ceasing to embrace her. "It's not your fault, Victoria. Nate had a lot of struggles, but he was responsible for his own actions" she said as she separated "I'm his sister and I was half a world away, running from my family's problems. I've seen many dramas around the world, the kind of stuff that would leave this as a mere foot note, life can be very hard and we can only move forward".

"I guess you're right, still, I'm gonna need some time".

"You know you can count on me for whatever you need".

"Thank you," Victoria replied almost mindlessly as she wiped her tears "In any case, let me introduce you, Kristine Prescott, Nathan's sister, this is Max Caulfield, never Maxine," she said pointing to Max, who in turn made a small nod "and this is Chloe, she's...".

"I'm Max's girlfriend" Chloe interrupted as she stood up to shake Kristine's hand.

"Well, that's it, her girlfriend" Victoria added a bit flustered. She was not yet used to the new "arrangement" and Chloe's spontaneity was tricky to keep up.

"Anyway," she said as she stepped aside to let Kristine sit at the booth "want some coffee?".

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna need one of those, extra strong, please".

Victoria gestured (politely and respectfully) to the waitress and ordered the coffee. "What are you doing here, and why are you asking for Max?" Victoria asked, as soon as the waitress poured the coffee.

"That's what I'd like to know myself". Kristine replied, shrugging her shoulders "I still have contact with lots of people from Arcadia Bay, on Monday I got the infamous message that I suppose you have all received".

"Oh, that" Victoria returned, widening her eyes in surprise.

"It sounds like a fucking joke" Kristine reached into the side pocket of her cargo pants and pulled out a state-of-the-art satellite cell phone. Victoria was probably the only one who could guess the approximate price of that technology piece, Max and Chloe just felt like it was something far from their purchasing power "here, listen, _today it will snow. Tomorrow an_ _unscheduled eclipse will happen. Wednesday an old crime will be solved and a dark evil will be apprehended. On Thursday morning, whales will beach and birds will fall from the sky. At night, a double moon will be seen_. _This is how you will all know that on Friday a tornado will sweep Arcadia Bay_ ".

"Awful, it looks like some Nostradamus shit. Whoever wanted to warn us could have sent a different kind of message, this looks like a prank". Victoria, who had silently mouthed the whole message from memory, said.

"I think it gets the job done", Chloe rushed to answer, "Any message would have sounded absurd, this way at least it gets you to pay attention to the omens".

Max gave her a little kick under the table, thanking her for the gesture.

The things you do for love.

"I believe you have all received the same message, what you don't know is that on the same Monday I received an email...in my personal email, which only my family knows about".

Kristine stared at Max, who in turn held her gaze.

"And that's the reason you asked for me?" Max questioned.

"I was hoping you'd give me some answers".

"Care to share first what your email said?".

Kristine examined Max, delaying her reply until with a sigh she looked away and began to speak "it was quite specific and at the same time vague, if that makes any sense. Basically, it said that I should be ready to urgently return to Arcadia Bay that same week and once I was there I should contact Maxine Caulfield because my services would be of extreme importance...it included your phone number, obviously. As soon as my mother called me telling me that Nate had been arrested, I got on a private jet and here I am, I haven't slept for quite some time".

Feeling all eyes fixed on her, Max smiled and bowed her head somewhat embarrassed, "I have no answers for you, at least not all of them... I also received an email, telling me that someone would contact me, insisting that I make myself available to them because their help was crucial...otherwise, I don't know who sent me the message, or why me. I reckon like all of you, I'm in the middle of something that's far bigger than myself. Through all this business, I've learned to let myself go without questioning anything, I mean, this all begins with a message that predicts events impossible to foresee...I don't know, it's nuts".

"I see" Kristine answered thoughtfully "I've had the origin of the message analyzed, an account created exclusively to send the message, we could trace it back to the Blackwell public room, but the trail vanishes there".

"Just like the message, it's suddenly there, with no previous account login". Victoria replied.

"It seems that we are not going to get any answers on these issues, there is only one thing left to clear. What am I doing here and why is my help so necessary?" Kristine said.

"That's two separate things," Chloe said.

"Excuse me?" Kristine answered surprised.

"What am I doing here and why is my help so necessary? You said there's only one thing left to clear and that's two things in my book".

The three girls looked at Chloe in disbelief, but it was Victoria who spoke "really Price? is that your contribution to this conversation?".

"Well," Chloe replied defensively, "since we're clearing things up, I just wanted everything to be crystal clear".

"I can't fucking believe you" Victoria answered.

"In any case," Kristine said shaking her head as if trying to forget this last exchange "the questions, _in plural,"_ she said staring at Chloe "are still standing".

"But they're not," Max said with an ear to ear smile.

"How come?" Kristine replied immediately.

"Sure, you can't possibly know, but the three of us should have figured it out by the time we knew who you were".

"Sorry, but I must be a little sluggish today," Victoria said squinting "Can you enlighten us?".

"You said it yourself, Victoria, our plan is bullshit, what would it take for it to work?".

"We are planning to evacuate an entire town, a bunch of students from the local posh Academy. As much as everyone knows the message and all predictions have been fulfilled, we're not even gonna convince half the population. What do we need? To begin with, a fuck ton of money, resources, vehicles, people...".

"Indeed," Max replied looking at Kristine.

"Wait" Victoria interrupted, "you don't mean...".

"We're facing exceptional circumstances. I would not normally expect anyone to bury a mountain of money in an evacuation that we don't even know if it's necessary...but... and this is a huge but... your father is under arrest and his implication with Jefferson is strongly established...I guess that will have a big effect on household finances".

"I have spoken to the family lawyers before coming, they have told me to get ready for all our assets to be seized". Kristine answered in a suspicious tone.

"Do you have access to any of the family resources". Max inquired.

"The foundation. My father has been using it for years to divert money. With my father and my brother out of the picture, I'm next in management line ...my father always kept my mother away from any control of the family's finances".

"Will there be enough cash?" Victoria asked, always attentive to the financial considerations of any project.

"Trust me, there will be more than enough".

"And you're okay with that? burning a big chunk of your family's money helping some teenagers evacuating a town based on a freaky message".

"I'm more than willing. Whatever this is, it seems like it's already been established what's expected of me. There is a great deal of money in the foundation, I don't know what this may cost us, but I'm sure we won't spend it all... besides that, I might have further reasons to get me involved in this".

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"First of all, I want to do something positive for this town. Prescott's name has long been associated with bad news, I'm surely taking care of all family businesses, so a little PR wouldn't hurt to help change people's perception. I also know that my father would never get involved in something like this. This is my own private way of saying _fuck you_ for a lot of different reasons".

"This is all very convenient," Max said with a half-smile on her face.

"It seems so," Kristine replied, imitating Max's gesture.

"This is great," Victoria said gleaming "now we just need to find someone who could coordinate because the difficulty has escalated.

"Someone with experience in this particular line of work?" Max said without taking her eyes off Kristine "how about someone with experience in complicated situations involving a lot of people ... I don't know, for instance, someone who has worked in the peace corps in Brazil, someone who has for sure, managed far more challenging situations than this one and with fewer resources".

"Someone with that background would surely be the right person for the job" Kristen kept the half-smile as she spoke and although there were four people sitting in the booth, actually she seemed to be speaking only to Max.

"That sounds like it".

"Absolutely convenient, like you said." Kristine seemed to get out of the trance and looked at the other two girls as she stood up "I need to make a few calls to my lawyers, I have a press conference to set up. Girls, keep the lines open, we'll be constantly in touch".

"Only one more thing," Max said as she got up "There are 14 boats in the harbor, I don't think any of them will survive the tornado, it would be worth the effort to move them to the nearest port".

"Boats..." Kristine said focusing again on Max, "don't worry, I'll take care of it... by the way Max, as soon as this is over, you and I have to sit down and talk about a lot of stuff".

"Whenever you want, even though you know I don't have the answers you're looking for".

"We'll see about that, in the meantime, I've got a lot to do".

10 minutes later, Kristine was probably on her fourth phone call and the remaining girls were in front of Victoria's car (parked two streets behind the Two Whales, so that no one would spot it).

"Thank you for walking me to the car".

"We better make sure you get there safely, it took me a lot of effort to get to your good side". Max chuckled.

"I'm only doing it for Max, you know that" Chloe added in an amusing tone.

"I know Price, I know." Victoria hesitated with a small grimace before she kept on, slightly lowering her gaze "Chloe...this is going to sound far-fetched...anyway, I've never had the chance to tell you, but I'm sorry for your loss".

"You never had the chance?" Chloe answered with obvious disbelief "it's been more than five years".

"More like I never had the will to tell you. I suppose it's ridiculous now...anyway, this is the first time we've spoken civilly. My parents ignore me except to pressure me for idiotic reasons that only matter to them, still there they are. As I said, I'm sorry...I wish I could go back and change stuff, but I can't. The only thing I can do is to change them now, starting today".

Chloe scrutinized Victoria for a brief period of time before responding "You've come a long way since we met Chase".

"I'm not the only one, Price".

"Yeah, you're hella right" she replied with a warm smile.

 **Author notes.**

 **(1)** As said in Numb, Chapter 6, Meltdown. And that's another clue as to what universe this story takes place in, but each thing at its own time.


	20. The catcher in the rye

"To the lighthouse?.

To the lighthouse, my faithful chauffeur.

Chloe offered Max a fake and overly false reproach-filled look. "Back to square one? I'm not your girlfriend anymore? your future lover? (the latter said with an equally exaggerated mocking smile) I'm nothing but... let me recall it... oh yes, I remember... _your sidekick_ , _your faithful chauffeur_ ".

"Talking about remembering, I remind you, it was you who volunteered for the position".

"Hey, hey, hey, stop right there. I'm not going to deny that I've had some exposure to drugs that I really should have fucking avoided, but my brain is still working hella properly and my memory is clear. It was you who told me. On the beach, before you took my picture with the snow...It was the first day we met again and... well...The point is, I remember everything. In detail".

"Oh, how cute... In any case, I stand on my ground. You volunteered".

Chloe stared at Max, squinting in opposition to her friend's smirk. Her recollection of the event was clear, yet the cockiness with which Max held her gaze implied that something was escaping her.

 _Oh fuck._

"Come on, spit it out, when?" Chloe said, bowing her head.

"On the train tracks behind the junkyard, after meeting Frank".

"I guess you accepted".

"Are you kidding? It was like a Christmas present. Being with you was the only thing that mattered to me".

"Ha, look who's cute now".

"Me. I might be cute right now" Max replied without taking her eyes off Chloe "but you should meet my girlfriend. She's breathtaking. Always".

"Breathtaking" Chloe repeated absently "I bet she is...uff...anyway, to the lighthouse, ma'am".

Chloe started the car with a grunt and maneuvered out of the two whales parking lot. "You're having a fucking blast, aren't you?".

Max replied barely able to contain the giggles "all our childhood I've had to put up with your jokes, for once I have the upper hand and I only have until tomorrow. I'm going to grab every chance I get".

Chloe halted the car before entering the main road. With a delicacy that was downright out of place, she leaned over and changed the radio station as she casually commented while remaining focused on the radio "know what? I'm pretty sure your girlfriend also considers you breathtaking".

* * *

The road to the lighthouse was uneventful.

Or at least reasonably uneventful if we leave aside the fact that in the car rode the only time traveler mankind had ever known and the one person she was determined to keep safe no matter the cost.

The two girls walked up the path to the lighthouse in silence, holding hands and enjoying the simple intimacy of an outdoors walk. The world might have stopped spinning at that very moment and they wouldn't have cared because they had each other. For Max that didn't come as a surprise, she had never wished for anything else, but the thought that Chloe apparently desired the exact same thing would never cease to delight her.

Below the cliff, the city was still quiet. It would soon become a madhouse, once Kristine Prescott held her press conference announcing the evacuating plans. Not quite yet though.

"You sure about this?".

"Yeah, I know it's stupid, we should go to a safer place, but this place...I have this feeling, like all this" Max said as she gestured with her hand to encompass the town at her feet "like all this is my doing, the storm, but also the evacuation. I'm being drawn here if that makes any sense. Somehow I feel like we should be up here... watching over our town, maybe?. I don't know, probably, in the end, it's just a crappy idea. What do you make of it?".

"Wherever you go, I go". Chloe shrugged, inexpressive as if it were a mere formality. Max thought they were meant to go through the storm there? That's where she would be. No second thoughts, no regrets.

"Ok," Chloe said after thoroughly examining the padlock on the lighthouse door, "I know exactly what kind of tooling I need to tear it apart".

"Great, I bet you didn't imagine we'd spend the afternoon shopping".

"Uh...Max" Chloe embarrassingly stated, "I don't want to be a buzz kill, but this stuff isn't exactly cheap and I'm broke as fuck".

"Wrong, you've got hella cash".

Chloe froze.

And I am in the position to assure you beyond doubt, that it was not because she had completely forgotten that in her truck tucked away in the glove compartment, there was an envelope with five grand. More money than she had ever seen together, or, as she herself had described it, a full _Holy shit, jackpot! Cha-ching!._

Still, by the metal door, Chloe turned to her with an indecipherable expression. "Are we already in laughing terms with it?".

Max, who knew she had just crossed a line and had deliberately done so, took a deep breath before answering "I wouldn't say as much as I'm ready to laugh about this... Jefferson's gonna be locked up for life, being some white supremacist's bitch, Prescott's down and we're going to save Arcadia Bay. Of course, this is going to leave a scar on me, the darkroom, the abuse... Katie, Rachel. I've been through a lot of shit this week, it'll take time to heal, but you're safe and we're together. No one will ever take that away from me".

Max made a little pause.

Her girlfriend, the ever loser reject nobody cared about, deserved that moment of glory more than anyone else and Max wasn't going to hold back. Not if she could serve it on a silver platter. "I can't let that darkness be any stronger than I am. We must have this talk for our own good, I'll be cuddling in bed with you while they're up to their necks in deep shit. If I have an anxiety attack you will take care of me, if I have nightmares you'll stay awake by my side. I know you will".

"Of course I will" an already teary-eyed Chloe shouted back.

"Chloe, I got you. I've won".

Clenching her fists visibly, she moved away to the clearing next to the bench. "Fuckfuckfuck" was all that she managed to mumble almost inaudible between her teeth while struggling to figure out what to tell Max. What can she possibly say when Max had accomplished the impossible and yet she still thought the only thing worth fighting for was her.

After a few moments spinning around like a caged lion, trying to regain control of her breathing she offered her the saddest smile "This is actually happening? is this for real?".

Max avoided words and instead nodded briefly.

A more than eloquent answer.

"Holy shit, I need a smoke".

Max stood aside as Chloe walked to the bench and sat down, taking the packet of tobacco out of her pocket with trembling fingers. After a respectful space of time, she approached her and sat on the bench, leaving some room between them.

"When did you quit smoking?".

"Sorry?... I didn't quit" Chloe answered taken by surprise by the question.

"As far as I know, those white little things need to be lit".

Looking at the cigarette in her hand as if she just realized it was there, she verified that it was indeed unlit. "I..." she began justifying herself before she realized it wasn't worth it "...I'm just trying to be better".

"You know I like you, no matter what".

"Yeah...still..."Chloe bent down, ducking her head between her legs.

Including the all not so straight paths through time, Max had only spent nine-ish days of her teenage years with Chloe, and if you're tempted into believing that is a difficult concept to grasp, try the fact that Chloe had only spent 4 days with Max. In any case, nine (ish, remember) days were more than enough to figure out that Chloe hadn't changed at all. When she entered certain mental processes it was wiser to give her time and let her come out on her own terms.

That was another one of those moments in which she simply had to wait.

So she waited.

"I'm not stupid," she said at last. And from the way she spoke, it became apparent that she meant a lot more. "I know I'm pushing hard to prove otherwise, but I'm not. At least not entirely".

Max smiled, careful not to interrupt her.

"Everyone had left me and I clung to Rachel... deep down, I always knew I was never going to bail to LA. I deluded myself because I had nothing else. All those mysterious absences...always avoiding direct questions until I stopped asking them...No, it was never a real choice...but now... now it's different. I can see it, it's there. And it's with you, which means I fucking know it's gonna happen because you're gonna make it happen... and the thing ... fuck... the thing is that now I really have to face real life. You know? for a long time, this became easy. Getting up late, doing nothing, all I had to worry about was Rachel, her trips to fuck knows where, her moods, whether she was going to drink enough to make out with me but not so much that she didn't want to. My life stopped, everyone around me was doing their thing but for me".

Chloe stared again at the smoke and shook her head "if it wasn't enough to have the girl I've always been in love with back, it turns out now you have powers... fucking superpowers, like the comics we used to draw when we were kids, you can believe it?. We're gonna bail together, for reals. I've got a lot to deal with. I... maybe we could stay here? I know this isn't exactly funk town... we could live here in the lighthouse, it makes sense, doesn't it? you could take pictures every day, or even better, series of pictures like that guy with the peach cans, shiny and stuff. And I... I could take care of security, this cliff is dangerous, there is no rail or anything and many children come up here. I would patrol the surroundings all day, making sure that no kid falls down the cliff, you know? I like kids, they don't try to fuck with me and stuff".

Max shifted on the bench, moving in until she was glued to Chloe.

"Is that what you really want?".

"Fuck, no. You knocked off Prescott all by yourself, Jefferson's gonna shit on his pants to the end of his days and the son of a bitch can't even kill himself. Holy shit, you even befriended fucking Victoria Chase, I can't begin to imagine what kind of crazy adventures we're going to live together...and yet I'm scared".

"Don't be afraid, I'll always protect you".

"I know. I know what you're capable of, Max, you've become a fucking goddess".

"A Goddess?" Max replied with a blank stare, "I wish I were, then we'd always be together".

"What are you talking about? I'll never leave you" Chloe replied with a surprised gesture.

"I'm sorry, I rambled. It's...I was thinking about another kind of always, ignore it, it's just something that crossed my mind".

"Listen," Chloe said majestically in her best meaningful voice "I don't claim to understand all this timey stuff. I'm still adjusting to the reality that we've lived a week together and I had no memory of it and that's just for starters. Most of it it's just too much to fully grasp it and I guess it always will, but one thing you have to be sure of, whatever always means in your Dr. Who way of life, I will _always_ be with you".

Max delayed her response far longer than Chloe would have liked, and when she opened her mouth, a malicious smile graced her face "I may have become a Goddess, but you certainly have become a sappy mess".

"Fuck you, we were having a moment here".

"Shit, you're right," Max replied, smacking her forehead exaggeratedly.

"What's going on?" replied a confused Chloe.

"Come on, hurry up," Max rashly replied as she bolted straight from the bench "we still have some errands to run the sooner we finish them the sooner we can go back to my dorm room".

Chloe stared clueless, while Max rushed down the hill. She mentally reviewed the situation, repeating the conversation internally trying to find the reason why Max reacted that way. Remembering her last words just before Max reacted.

 _Oh shit._

Without a word, Chloe hurried down the hill.

* * *

"This is not the way to the courthouse".

"He's not there. He's at home, something about a forced time off. I made a couple phone calls while you were hugging goodbye your new bestie".

"You mean Victoria? She's not my bestie, I told you over and over. She needed my help and she's a lot better than she looks".

"Pfff."

"Don't be that mean. I dare say you guys are almost friends".

"Since you're the one who's going to college, I could use your help here, miss know-it-all" Chloe replied with a sneering grin, "how would you put to words a hella extreme expression of disagreement".

"Come on, you're gonna keep giving me shit about it, it's already old. Tori is our friend, period".

"Nonono. Let's be clear here, she's your friend, I'm just her friend's girlfriend. Nothing else, being civil and everything".

"You're so stubborn".

"Part of my charm".

"No, not at all, although I'm not going to deny your charm".

"Ha," she replied satisfied. Nothing like massaging Chloe's ego to grease the wheels. "You're not bad yourself either. I'm positive that deep down your little friend also has the hots for you, that's why she was being so harsh with you". Greased wheels or not, she still was a pain in the ass.

"Ok", Max said with a frustrated sigh, " I'm dropping this conversation, you win. She's my friend and you're just my civilly behaving girlfriend".

"What I said".

"Whatever".

...

"Chloe," Max said after a few minutes of forced silence.

"Chloeeeee".

"Lady Caulfield wants to talk to me again?".

"Chloe, you are deflecting the issue".

"I don't know what you're talking about".

"You don't have to do it, let alone go to her house".

"I have to do it," she said, abandoning the humorous tone "I want to do it".

"Fine" Max replied after briefly weighing the answer "but I'm going with you, no waiting-in-the-car girlfriend".

"I wouldn't want it any other way".

The drive lasted a few more minutes, which were spent with Max clutching Chloe's hand. A little uncomfortable for driving, but it was the thought that counted.

"Let's go," Chloe said, stepping out of the truck with determination "I need to get this over with".

Chloe walked steadily to the front door, pulling Max's hand. Once there, she took a couple of deep breaths and rang the doorbell.

"Chloe Price?" answered James Amber in astonishment as he opened the door, "You're not exactly the first person I'd expect to knock on my door".

"I'll be quick, do you have a couple of minutes to spare?".

"Of course, but I would ask you to come into the house. I was watching something on tv and... well, I think you should see it too".

Chloe turned to her friend. The plan was to get out of the car, make it quick and leave. This was a major change, and Chloe wasn't going to drag Max against her will. Max shrugged and with a nod, they followed Mr. Amber into the house.

No surprises there. On the tv, Kristine Prescott's press conference was on the air.

Mr. Amber had the girls sit on the couch and followed the conference with extreme attention only to interrupt a couple of times to offer them a drink. Apparently, he forgot that he'd already offered them in the first place.

"Wow, This is getting out of hand. What are you girls going to do?" Mr. Amber said as soon as they cut off the live broadcast.

"We're leaving town," Max rushed to answer before Chloe gave away their intentions "If a Prescott is convinced that the storm is real and is willing to back up her bet with a stack of money, maybe it's worth listening to".

"I see," Mr. Amber replied as he scrutinized Max without any sort of concealment "in any case, to what do I owe your visit?" he said turning suddenly to Chloe.

Stepping forward, Chloe stretched out her hand, clearly offering it for a handshake. "Mr. Amber, I don't like you, and I know the feeling is mutual. That doesn't matter anymore, I just came to pay my respects, I'm... I'm sorry for your loss...and since Mrs. Amber doesn't seem to be home, I'd appreciate it if you'd pay my respects to her".

"Chloe, I..." Mr. Amber replied with a lump in his throat while gently shaking the offered hand "I don't know what to say...I didn't expect this. I will tell Mrs. Amber that you have come".

"Fine, that was it, we're leaving".

"Wait" said Mr. Amber anguishedly. "Look, Chloe, I didn't like you, you didn't seem like the kind of person she should be hanging out with, but you know, who could hold back Rachel when she was determined to do something?".

"Yeah" Chloe answered eloquently, feeling for the first time in her life a thread of empathy with him.

"I thought you weren't a good company, and now you're here, sitting in my dining room accompanied by who I suppose is a good friend while my daughter is dead. Not only my only daughter has been murdered, on top of that I had to discover that she was involved with a small-time dealer and a depraved".

"Like I said I'm sorry, you know I mean it".

"Did you despise me so much?".

"Honestly" Chloe answered after a top-down look at Mr. Amber "we never had much contact, most of what I know about you is through Rachel and right now if she was a reliable source of information, what's more, I wouldn't even know if she told me a single truth the whole time we were friends".

"I wasn't a good father, that's true. I wanted the best for Rachel like every father does. I made the biggest mistake in the book, though. To deceive myself. Rachel was always like that. Whimsical, manipulative, since she was a little girl. She had her ways to get everything she wanted. I always hoped she would change... the truth is, I never thought she'd go this far. She dug a deep hole beneath her feet all by herself, and now all that's left after she is pain".

"What will you do now?". Chloe said in a kinder tone.

"I don't have many options now, in fact, this very morning I received the call".

"The call?".

"Yesterday I was called in to get out of the case immediately, conflict of interest. Today's call was different. A serial abuser under my own nose, not being able to protect my own daughter?. My superiors have all the information and it doesn't leave me in a good place. My career has gone to the dogs".

"I'm sorry to hear that".

"Don't be, I deserved as much, in any case, I don't care. My daughter is dead, there can't be a worse punishment".

"This is all so messed up".

"Chloe, there's this other thing. We haven't touched Rachel's room since...we didn't know what to do with all her belongings and since you're here, I'd like you to come up and take whatever you want, I'm sure Rachel would have wanted you to have some of her things".

"No thanks," Chloe answered without a second's thought.

"Excuse me?".

"I don't want anything from Rachel," Chloe said again with confidence "I mean to be absolutely respectful with your pain, but Rachel cheated on me, and I'm not talking about sleeping with Frank, Jefferson and who knows who else. Maybe in time, I'll be able to forgive her, but not right now. Her absence hurts me as it does what she did to me".

"I understand," Mr. Amber said lowering his head in sorrow. "I hope that in the future you will be able to find a way to forgive her. I knew my daughter, and I think in her own weird way she cared about you".

"I sincerely hope so, too. At the moment all I care about is turning the page, I need to live my life and not the leftovers of hers".

It wasn't until they lost sight of the Amber's house that Chloe pulled over and burst in tears. Max hugged her until she calmed down and started the truck again, all of it in complete silence.

There was no need for words, the two girls knew Chloe had found the closure she needed.

Rachel Amber was part of Chloe's past, and the future that lay before her was wonderful.

* * *

"What's with the boats," Chloe asked as she climbed out of the truck and started offloading the bulky boxes from the bed. After dropping by the hardware store and buying the necessary tools to break open the lighthouse door padlock (and a new lock whose key they would hand over to the police _because we are not savages_ ) Max insisted on further shopping. _My ass froze the first time over. Wind, cold and rain, this time I want us to be prepared._ Not just that, because Max had gone all out. Sleeping bags, thermal blankets and waterproof jackets of the finest quality in addition to camping lamps. In all, it amounted to almost two thousand dollars which had initially spooked Chloe, but Max had dismissed any incoming protest with the argument that now they were geared for their road trips.

Because there were going to be road trips, and Max said it so confidently that Chloe secretly waved goodbye to her ephemeral wealth and paid without protest.

"My vision" replied Max as she took the box that Chloe handed her and started walking through Blackwell's desert parking lot. "A boat crashed into the lighthouse. Not very convenient if we're going to spend the night there".

"Fuck no, I can't imagine going through all this to get crushed to death by a boat".

"Not gonna happen".

"Not as long as you protect me".

"This is weird... it's like I, somehow, sense it. I don't know how to explain it. I'm being pulled to the lighthouse which seems nonsensical because of the storm, at the same time I know all I have to make sure is there are no boats and we'll be safe".

"What do you think it means?".

"I have no clue, my vision was very specific. These powers... maybe there's more to it. I guess we'll never know".

Blackwell was deserted, and the two girls crossed the main courtyard without meeting anyone. However, as they entered the courtyard in front of the dorms a lonely figure who was sitting in the entrance steps got up and trotted towards them with a goofy smile on his face.

Warren Graham.

"Hey, Max. I spoke to Kate and she said you were gonna stop by Blackwell" He wore the birthday boy's face.

"Warren" she replied with a disgusted face. It was clear he wasn't going to give up, and what's worse, he was ignoring Chloe.

"I was waiting for you".

 _No shit._

"What exactly for?" Max replied, trying to maintain self-control.

"I understand you already know, but Kristine Prescott is launching a big-ass evacuation ops. Those of us from Blackwell, we're getting organized and stuff, we are allocated in a tent. I have saved you a bunk next to mine, and I came to see if you wanted us to go there already".

"Dude," Chloe said almost pitifully.

"Oh, right, Chloe. I didn't save you one because I assumed that you being from Arcadia and all, you would leave with your family".

Max stared at Warren with a blank face for a few seconds before growling.

"Take hold of this," she said as she handed him the box she was carrying "it's big but it doesn't weigh, it's clothes and blankets. Don't drop it".

Let's take a short pause at this point to consider some aspects of Max Caulfield's life.

We know she was a tad clueless. Remembering what happened in the first week with Chloe's not-so-subtle advances, when it comes to flirting, we might consider here she was plain oblivious. Of course, she had progressed on that front lately, and she was fully aware of Warren's intentions. But despite being so, let's say, uneducated in that area, there was a piece of the equation which meant a drastic change.

Hey, like everything else in her life.

Chloe.

She had been her point of reference in life, and even though she didn't talk much, Max listened. And if it was Chloe who was talking, her full attention was drawn to her. So without having much idea about the subject, and without even having thought about what to do when the time came (and the moment was going to come for sure) Chloe had provided her with the solution to her problem.

 _You can find tutorials for everything on the internet_ , she had told her.

If a prying eye such as that of each of you who are reading this story, opted for the evil side and decided to walk uninvited into Max's privacy, you could snoop around her cellphone and look up her search history.

 _How to gently kiss a girl._

 _How to tell a girl you love her with a kiss._

 _Kissing a girl being a girl_. This last one in case there was some particularity in the matter that was not dealt with in the previous ones.

And of course once it looked like the basics were already covered, Max got a bit cocky.

 _Best Hollywood Kisses_.

 _Kiss your girl like the fucking master._ Oh, come on, what's up with you internet people?.

But let's get back to our history. Because once Max had her hands free, she took Chloe's box from her (which weighed a lot more than hers because she would _never_ let Max carry the heavier box) left it on the floor, and crossed her arms over Chloe's neck, giving her the best kiss that the infinite wisdom of the internet had managed to teach her.

Max didn't hold back. Chloe even less so. Which leaves us with Warren who contemplated the show with horror and could only manage to babble an incoherent excuse and run off like a wounded puppy.

In Chloe's defense, we'll say she resisted for a good twenty seconds before exploding in violent laughter.

The girls unloaded the boxes and organized their contents around Max's room. It wasn't until they made no less than ten calls between the two of them in order to help organizing the evacuation and ask about how their closest friends and family were doing that Max addressed Chloe with a mischievous smile and told her:

"And now, turn off your phone".

"Will do" she replied with an equally malevolent grin.


	21. Farewell

**Previous note.  
**

When I began to write, back in the spring of 2017, aware of my limitations and with an almost physical desire for Max and Chloe to stay alive, I felt the need to explain myself. Almost to complete every chapter or scene elaborating the motivations and emotions I wanted to capture with my writing and I didn't manage to.

This was especially true for Numb as I consider my first fic more like a first approach to writing than a fully developed story. When I set The Leopard in motion, I decided not to. Let each one of you reading this story, play it your own way, and leave specific observations for comments or PM replies.

There hasn't been any explanatory note so far, so I guess you're wondering why this note now. Why not in the first chapter? or in the last one?. In either of those two cases, it makes much more sense than now, in an apparently random chapter, near the end of the story, Friday morning and most of the loose ends already tied up.

But guys, it turns out I've been wanting to write these words for over a year and a half and this chapter ¡t's not a random one, not by a long shot.

It's been almost 4 years since the last episode of LIS was published. Little or nothing I can add now that has not been said, still I feel compelled to mention how deep it struck me, and although I am not legitimate to speak for anyone other than myself, I can categorically state that I have not been the only one to whom LIS has struck hard.

I had never written fan fiction, I didn't even know what fanfic was and yet I felt the urge not only to read fics (to continue reading them to this day) but to force myself to sit down and write in my limited English just to help keep Max and Chloe's adventures going.

Thankfully there's plenty of people out there who did, do, or will do the same showing that the affection that many people have for these characters is real and will continue for a long time.

I once read that until the last fic is published or the latest post on Reddit is posted etc. LIS will not die. I'm guessing there would be a 10th-anniversary edition, the 25th..remasters. I don't really know but I guess it'll take a long time to vanish if ever completely.

So what's this note for?

Well, it is a huge and sincere thank you to each and every person who has had something to do with the development of LIS.

I envy you.

Unambiguously. Of course, healthy envy, but envy in the end.

There is nothing I would have liked more than to have been involved in its making, even if it had been to choose the exact purple shade of Chloe's hair roots or to write the most unimportant _hella_ in the dialogue.

And I would have been so proud to know that I'd been a part of that.

This year we saw fans complaining about the last season of a very successful TV show, there's a petition with over 1,700,000 signatures to remake the whole season. More and more fans feel the need to complain about their favorites shows, movies, etc ., and this isn't bad per se, but there comes a time when the notion of what creative work is, is lost.

We're literally one step away from having fanfics of fanfics, and we are missing the option of valuing the work of others for what it is and not for what we would like it to be.

I've played the first episodes of LIS Season 2, and I'm aware of all the noise around it, I think it's a great game, although it hasn't reached me, not even a fraction of what season 1 did.

But the point is, nothing's ever done it before, so it' s not a big deal. I'm talking about a mountain of movies, books, music, games. Most likely thousands of creative works, none of them has ever had the effect that the first season of LIS had on me. Not even close. So the chances that the second season, with new characters and a new story, wouldn't have the same effect were 99.99%. It's still a great game. I'll be playing next episodes when they come out and if there's a third season I'll play it. But it is not LIS season 1, as nothing else is LIS season 1.

Is it a perfect game? No, it's not at all, it has many flaws, some very obvious, others not so many, but it doesn't matter because, in the end, the overall experience of the game is a carousel of indescribable emotions.

There are literally millions of creative works out there, available to everyone, and only the minimal fraction of them reach so many people the way LIS did.

I wish the whole team a huge success in every endeavor in the years to come. LIS's second season had a huge gap to fill and arguably people have been a bit unfair. It has been judged more against the original game than by its own virtues and that was a battle destined to lose. Many of us care too much about Max and Chloe and we're not ready to let them go yet.

What I mean in such a clumsy way is that whatever happens in the future (and I hope it's all good news) what you've achieved is incredible. The overwhelming majority of people producing creative works will end their career without even coming close to the tiniest part of the empathy LIS characters have created in a legion of people.

What's the point of any creative work if it's not to strike your feelings?

When I grow old and my memories are so many and varied that I may forget several of them I'm sure I'll be able to remember Max and Chloe. Not a life-changing issue, but I'm certain that memory will be able to start a nostalgic smile on my wrinkled face.

You guys made it. You did LIS.

Whatever the future holds, you made it. Be proud. I would certainly be.

I'm very grateful for that. I can't do much more than that, be forever thankful, although some little something is still in my reach.

As for instance this very chapter, which I want it to be my way of thanking the entire LIS team.

Here you won't find great literature or the kind of good writing that can be found in the most popular fics. I'm in a ruthless war with adverbs, my English, although good enough for work and daily life falls too short for detailed descriptions and my sentence construction is weird. I'm more a reader than a writer.

But one thing I can assure you. This is the most cherished scene I've ever written. Infinite Loop was the best scenario I thought I could leave the girls in, always together, always experiencing mutual love for the first time. This, on the other hand, is the specific scene I wanted for them because I know what it would mean for these characters.

It may not be good enough, it may not be well written, but it's honest.

I know it's wishful thinking that any of the people to whom it's dedicated will ever read it.

This is only a small fic in an ocean of more than 4.500 fics in AO3 only, and a similar number in FFnet, and certainly not one of the most popular. I'm not active in the "official" LISfan pages, in general, I'm not very active in social networks and in the few networks I'm on (mostly twitter) I don't mention much about LIS (I don't even mention my stories), so I guess it's impossible for this to reach the LIS team's knowledge.

Which doesn't mean I'm not going to do it anyway, because it's the intention that counts.

So this chapter is for you, and it's very deliberately called farewell.

And also for the people of BTS even though I didn't particularly like the game. Great game, but not what I expected for a LIS prequel.

Hope you like it guys.

* * *

 **Farewell.**

Ummmm.

Chloe yawned, still drowsy after a well-deserved night's rest. They hadn't even slept three nights together yet the first thing she noticed as she woke up was the absence of a certain warm body by her side. It's remarkable how easily you can get used to certain things, especially if that particular something is what you've been craving for most of your life.

Stretching out her numb arms, she pawed around.

Nothing.

A spike of anxiety grew inside her. _It's cool, Max hasn't dumped you. She's probably in the shower or taking a leak, keep your insecurities at bay for fuck's sake._ Upset with herself, Chloe clenched her fists in a ball. _Remember, dumb-ass, you want to be a better person for her._

There was not much point in swirling around in bed. Not if she couldn't cuddle up with Max and pretend it wasn't Friday, so she slowly sat up and shook her head trying to get rid of the slumber.

It turned out that Max wasn't in the shower or needed to use the bathroom. None of that. Max was sitting on the couch, bent legs tight against her chest and hugging herself with a blank stare.

"Morning, Chloe," she said without looking at her.

"Morning". Max remained motionless, with an indecipherable expression on her face. "Uh...Something wrong?" she added, frowning.

"No, it's all right, I'm just... thinking".

It was one of those lines that clearly required further elaboration, but Chloe waited in vain because Max just stood there, in silence with a missing gaze.

"So..." Chloe tentatively said after letting a reasonable period of time go by, "What are you thinking about?".

Turning her head very slowly, Max looked at Chloe and smiled blissfully like she first realized the other girl was there, which clearly wasn't the case as there's no way Max could have missed that they spent last night together.

"Tonight is the storm".

 _Uh Uh_.

Without a word, Chloe stretched out on to the nightstand where her phone rested turned off since last afternoon.

"No need for that, I've been up for quite some time and I've already checked, the two moons were clearly visible, there are thousands of videos circulating already".

"Ok...".

"Have you ever thought about why these powers have been granted to me?" Max seemed to be out of her trance and her gaze was now fixed on Chloe. There was something in that look, something deep and strangely visceral that she couldn't figure out.

"Sure I did. The thing is, Monday noon I was still putting up missing person posters for fucking Rachel...".

"Right, a bunch of stuff to take in".

Max omitted any mention regarding the comment on Rachel, which in no way went unnoticed by Chloe "Not just that, this has been the best week in my whole life".

"You know we just started our...?"

She abruptly interrupted her with a determined voice "Best week I'll ever get. Nothing will ever top this..." Chloe alternately pointed to her and Max hoping to convey what she could not express in words or at least not without getting a knot in her throat.

Max nodded with a shy smile.

Chloe was probably right, whatever the future held for them, Max knew it would only make sense if they were together. Metting again, and for many reasons, would always be the most meaningful adventure of their lives.

"I did think about it. A lot".

"And...?".

"It doesn't make any sense. I don't even know if this is about you, or Arcadia bay or... I just don't get it. There's nothing about me that makes me special or worthy of these powers".

"I beg to disagree" Chloe replied "When I think about you, all the awesome shit you've pulled off this week, and I'm not talking about superpowers, it does make sense...but then there's me and my sorry ass... Look, it is what it is. I feel like I've won the lottery twice in a row and I'm not going to give it any more thought, I'm hella fine with it the way it is".

Max stared blankly again, no doubt meditating on Chloe's answer.

"I'm running out of time," she said after a long enough lapse of time for Chloe to start worrying, and certainly the words she finally said did nothing to alleviate her concern.

"What do you mean by running out of time?". Chloe said as gently as she could.

"Do you think I'll lose my powers once the storm is over?".

Chloe frowned, taken aback for the unexpected question "honestly..." she said shrugging "I haven't thought about it" after a few moments she continued with an insecure voice "being totally fair, I've thought about what to do when all this storm-thing is over, you know? get a little cocky with your powers; gambling, stock market.. all that shit. The truth is, it's been like a roller coaster. I... I don't know. I'm giving you the goddamn same answer every fucking time, but who could actually provide any feasible answer? sure enough not me".

"Not me either, I have no clue".

Once again, Max went quiet. Her hands rested on her lap, absently fiddling with the fabric of her pajama pants, lost in her own mental processes. Chloe had decided not to push her. She was debating internally and she needed to come to her own conclusions. She waited patiently for Max to decide to talk again like she finally did.

"I'm gonna miss this".

"You mean Arcadia Bay, Blackwell?...". Chloe felt like she had to spoon every word out of her, but she was her partner in life and sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

"This week, knowing what's going to happen... this confidence in what I need to do. Today it's over and I'm going to find myself just as lost as ever".

"You're not lost" For the first time that morning Chloe sensed like she could bring some value to the conversation and not limit herself to being a mere witness to Max's ramblings "You've got me, we'll make it together".

Max smiled and Chloe could have sworn the room lit up with that beautiful smile.

"There's something I want to do for you. The point is, I'm the only person who could do it for you even though it's a rather unwise move, so to speak. I didn't get much sleep tonight wondering about it and in the end, the answer is fairly simple. In fact, it's the same answer every time. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you".

There are sentences that carry a much deeper meaning attached to them. Because of the several Hells Max had gone through without a second's hesitation just to keep her safe, these last words meant much more.

"Wow, Max, I'm flattered..." Chloe attempted to say before she was interrupted by Max bolting upright from the couch.

"There's a place I want to take you to".

"Are you sure? maybe it's not the best day to go for a drive around Arcadia Bay".

"Don't worry about that".

"OK". Chloe tried to conceal the wavering in her voice. She had learned to trust Max no matter what and although her behavior had been erratic until that moment she figured there'd be some compelling reason. Most likely all the pent-up tension had paid its toll on Max...or maybe there was more to it. And it was that second option the one that terrified Chloe.

She was so close to...everything.

"Let me grab a quick shower and dress this hot bod and we' re ready to go".

"You don't need any of that where we're going," Max replied as he sat beside her and held her hand. Before sitting, she had grabbed something from her bedside table and she was holding it in her free hand. Chloe failed to notice what it was, it resembled a small cardboard piece, like a business card, only bigger, but when Max made a small motion to adjust to the bed, she turned her wrist and Chloe could see what it was

It was an old Polaroid. She failed to recognize it at once because it was an old picture, the edges were stained and the familiar white frame was now of a yellowish color.

And it wasn't just any photo, Chloe would have recognized it, among millions, at first glance.

"Don't let go of me". Max said as she tightened the grip on Chloe's hand.

"I'm never letting you go. Not now, not ever".

Chloe had experienced time travel once before. Short as it was, she would never forget that uncanny sensation. This was totally different. It wasn't a matter of better or worse, just different. While Max focused on the picture with fierce intensity, she could see how the Polaroid began to vibrate and the space around them, for lack of a finer word to describe it, blurred.

Familiar voices were heard and with eyes already teary she had time to wonder what was the limit to Max's powers before the rest of the scene immediately vanished.

* * *

Chloe collapsed at once on all fours, on the small area between the kitchen and the dining table.

"Chloe! I hope the flash didn't scare you". The concern in William's voice was evident. He stepped forward towards his daughter until Max stopped him, in a tone that combined pleading and urgency in equal parts.

"Hold on William, let me take care of this, please".

Max ducked next to Chloe. She was breathing heavily, experiencing the onset of an anxiety fit."Relax, I'm here with you, everything's fine" she whispered in her ear as she passed her arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer against her "Your center of gravity is way lower and your limbs are shorter, you'd eventually get used to it, but we don't have time for it, we'll only be here for a few minutes so you can bid your father farewell".

Chloe nodded a couple of times as her breathing stabilized. Without raising her gaze from the ground, she whispered in a trembling voice, "Max, that's my dad father over there? it's him?... for real?".

Instead of answering, Max rose slowly and in a voice that sounded too high-pitched to Chloe, she addressed William. "She had a rough night, she didn't want to tell you so you wouldn't worry".

"Chloe..." William seemed disappointed, but it wasn't that patronizing tone parents use to reprimand youngsters. Somehow he was disappointed with himself. It was as if he thought that Chloe hadn't trusted him because he hadn't earned that trust. This was William Price in a nutshell, or at least how he was to his daughter's eyes. "You know you can tell me whatever you want, you don't have to pretend if you feel upset".

"Yeah, Dad" Chloe stood up laboriously and stared at her father, barely able to contain the tears "I didn't get much sleep, I guess fatigue catch up all of a sudden".

"Oh," William said as he placed the camera on the kitchen counter absolutely forgetting about the picture he just took "Do you want me to...".

"I m good," Chloe said waving her hand " Can I...?" she said in a broken voice "Can I give you a hug, though?".

William looked at his daughter, dejected, "A hug?... my own daughter is asking me if she can give me a hug?" he said switching to his playful tone, trying to comfort her "I've slaughtered dragons as big as mountains, I've conquered impenetrable castles, only to be worthy of a hug from my Chloe, so doubt not and come into my arms, oh daughter of mine".

"You're such a goof, dad...you can't imagine how much I've missed you" Not giving William the opportunity to notice Chloe's slip, she threw herself into his arms. Her first impulse was to bury her face in the crook of his father's neck, but Chloe failed to consider that she was now shorter, so after a few awkward moments she settled to hide her face into his chest while she sobbed bitterly.

"Dad, I love you so much".

William didn't quite know how to react to the unexpected turn of events. In his favor was the fact that his daughter was a teenager and he was somewhat familiar with odd behaviors besides, although it had been a long time ago, he himself had been a teenager and Chloe reminded him very much of his younger self. In any case, William loved his daughter above all consideration, so he did what he intuitively sensed his daughter needed, place his hand on her daughter's nape and squeeze her against him.

"Chloe..." Max had voluntarily stayed in the background, letting her devote all her attention to her father. She seemed unwilling to separate from her father, and even though the white edges had not begun to appear, she knew they didn't have much time. The last thing Max wanted was to suddenly be brought back to their timeline and Chloe missing the only chance she was ever going to have.

Taking a couple of steps back, Chloe moved to Max's side and gave her an understanding glance. When she told her about her first photo jump she explained that the jumps were limited to a very confined time and space. Needless to say, she also thoroughly explained the issues involved in changing the past.

This jump was a risk, yet Max trusted Chloe.

And what was true for one party was also true for the other, because Chloe had perfectly understood what Max was trying to do.

 _There's something I want to do for you._

 _I'm the only person who could do it for you._

What a wonderful gift.

"Dad, what do you want me to do when I grow up?".

"Excuse me?" William asked in surprise.

"Yeah, like, go to college? do the same as you do? there's something that would made you especially proud?".

"OK, OK, OK, Chloe, hold on" William made a gesture with both hands. The universal gesture to ask for people to calm down. "What's going on here? One second we're making pancakes in the kitchen and all of a sudden you're crying and asking me odd questions".

"Please, dad".

"Chloe, you're fourteen years old, you don't have to worry about those things, all you have to do is enjoy life, problems and bills will come later".

"Dad, I can't explain why, but it' s very important to me".

"Fine" William replied at last dropping a conformity snort "but you're getting it all wrong, It's not about becoming a doctor or a teacher or wheter you decide to go to college or not. I am and will be proud of you no matter what you choose as long as it's honest. The only thing that matters to me is that you are happy... maybe it's not what you choose, but I'd like you to find someone who cares about you, maybe start your own family...in the end all I want is for you to be happy, and for me what has made me happiest in this life is my family".

"I will do it" Max took a step to the side and stood right next to Chloe before intertwining her hand with hers and continuing with a firm voice. "I'll always care about her, whatever happens in the future she will always be my top priority and I'll try my best to make her happy".

With his free hand, Max pulled a stray of hair from Chloe's face and gently ran her hand down her cheek. Chloe turned her face towards her, a glance that was pure adoration.

"Yeah, dad, she will".

William, simply stood there, with her gaze fixed on the intertwined hands wondering whether the girls just told him what he thought they had told him.

And the two girls continued to look at each other in a way that left not much room for doubt.

The phone rang, William, unable to react did not answer and the message played through the answering machine.

"Girls", William said as he heard the beep signaling the end of the recorded message and finally reacted "This is all so weird, you suddenly look different... both of you, so intense, almost mature ... I've never heard little Max so self-confident, I don't know what this is about, but I'm gonna call Two Whales and ask Joyce to take the bus, we'll sit down and talk about this whole business".

"No, Dad". Chloe stared at the ground and gasped, Max could feel her hand squeezing tightly. She endured the pain while Chloe, without realizing, sunk her nails into her skin, grateful to be by her side in such an emotional moment in her life. In the previous five years, she had missed many chances to be at her friend's side. Not this time. Not when Chloe was going to let her father go "You need to go pick up Mom, she's waiting for you".

"Are you sure? I can...".

"I'll be fine. Max, will take care of me".

"Ok" William replied still not particularly convinced "we'll talk when I get back".

"Yeah, we'll talk later." Chloe relaxed the pressure, following William with her gaze as he picked up the keys and walked out the door, as if every second was precious to her.

And indeed it was.

The edges were closing and the two girls gave each other a loving stare with tears rolling down their cheeks when the door opened again and William poked his head out.

"Girls, before I left I wanted to tell you that I'm so glad you two met, I'm sure Joyce does too. I don't think Chloe could have hoped for a better friend...and well I'm also very happy that you' re... you know... _friends_...Um, so that's all I meant to say...and ...Oh right, Max?".

"Yes, William?".

"You said you were gonna take care of my daughter, so well... you know... do it".

"I will, I promise".

"Ok," William said a bit overwhelmed as he looked at the floor and nodded his head "I'm leaving...I love you both".

There was no time for an answer, the two girls felt the pull of the temporal flow returning them to their place in time and space and immediately found themselves back in the dorms again, sitting on Max's bed holding hands.

"My father, Oh my God...he passed away knowing about us". Chloe looked at Max with her eyes wide open, as she struggled to get oxygen, noticing her shortness of breath.

"He did," Max replied as she ran her hand over Chloe's back trying to calm her, "it's weird, but time travel works like this".

"I... I... I'll never be able to return the favor". Chloe said between gasps.

"Sh..sh...sh" Max replied as she pulled away from her to stare estraight into her eyes "there are no favors to return between us. We are Max and Chloe, we were probably meant to be since the day we met. We do our best for each other without expecting anything in return because that's what we are".

Chloe brought Max back to her and hugged her fiercely.

And then she cried.

"I can't believe you came out to my dad at 13" Chloe had been crying for a while and only spoke again with a smirk through puffy eyes and swollen face, when she was able to catch her breath.

"Not exactly 13..., Ok, I know what you mean. I can't believe I did either. I just wanted you to say goodbye to your father, but... I don't know, it seemed like the right thing to do".

"It was the right thing to do, and I'll always be grateful to you for it".

"Sure...I... it means a lot to me too".

"I know. Don't believe for a second that I didn't realize how you looked at William, You loved him very much".

Max nodded, trying to keep emotions at bay.

"I need some fresh air", Max said after a few moments when neither girl knew what to say. "I'll go downstairs to the courtyard. You can make a head start on the showers while I'm gone".

"Okay, but don't be too long. I don't pretend to be clingy or anything, but I don't want to be without you for a long time".

Max looked at Chloe with a placid smile "I know. Besides, I have a promise to fulfill".


	22. Homebrew

The temperature was pleasant although a few sprays of cool air announced that November was around the corner. A moderately clouded sky completed the portrait of a regular mid-October morning on the Oregon coast.

Max knew better.

At the dorm´s entrance, standing on the same steps where last Monday she started to become the person Chloe needed, she paid close attention.

The courtyard was dead silent. Of course, the academy had already been evacuated and the two girls were the entire population for the day, but nature is not silent. There wasn't a single corner in Blackwell where the chirping of a bird or a squirrel running up and down the trees could be heard.

Nothing.

The silence was terrifying. The prelude to a storm that would ravage the town Max loved.

Because that was another truth that Max had decided to assume. She loved Arcadia Bay. It was her hometown, where she was born and spent her childhood, where she met Chloe.

And Chloe always comes first.

What was the meaning behind her powers? She was not important, she was nobody. An absolutely trivial girl, somehow skilled with the camera, nothing that really mattered in the grand scheme of events. How could she have become the executioner for the town she cared so much about?

Max Caulfield the storm harbinger.

You gotta laugh if you can see the irony of the situation. The lamest D&D character ever.

Who in his right mind could possibly think that she was the right choice for whatever her mission was? She couldn't even discern any purpose beyond saving her friend. Chloe was her whole world, the only attribute that certainly stood out in her personality, her unreserved affection for Chloe.

What difference did it make anyway? There was never, in fact, a choice to be made, not saving Chloe was never a real option.

As simple as Max herself was.

With a determined step, she began to walk towards the right side of the courtyard, deciding that the bench over there was as good a place as any other. As she approached the bench, a metallic sound caught her attention, the noise came from Samuel's tool shed and a quick glance allowed her to discover that they weren't exactly alone in Blackwell.

"Samuel?" Max said, sincerely surprised "the director ordered the evacuation of the premises".

"Hello" Samuel displayed the same eloquence as ever, none at all. "I'm just sorting out my office, the storm will come and go, but my work is never done".

Samuel proceeded on with his business, ignoring her. Not the slightest mention of why Max was where she wasn't supposed to be.

"Ehem...shouldn't you go for shelter?..you know in case the storm..."

Samuel left what he was doing and turned to her, fixing his expressionless gaze on her "we all have a role in this story, young Max is the protagonist, Samuel's, however, is limited to helping to rebuild this town so he gets ready for it, when he's finished he'll leave. No need to worry. Samuel will leave before the storm comes".

"Excuse me? the protagonist? I don't...".

"Young Max is ready to leave the storm behind her. Samuel is happy for her, he always thought she was a fine girl. Young Chloe and her are going to live a lot of adventures together, and now if you'll excuse me, Samuel has a lot of work to do". Without a word, he turned around and went on with whatever he was doing before Max interrupted him.

"Samuel" Max insisted. Certainly, the week had given place to many peculiar situations, but without a doubt, this one, besides being totally unexpected, was among the weirdest that had happened to her.

With a sigh, he left the box he was stacking on a shelf and again turned to Max "Samuel looks to the future, like a clock. However Young Max is different, she seems to operate many clocks at once but none of them indicates that she should be here with Samuel, she has come out into the courtyard for another reason and she must proceed on her way". He stared at the phone that Max had forgotten was in her hand. With her gaze fixed on him, she waited in vain for an explanation that never arrived.

"Fine," she said after assuming that this was all there was to it "Please be careful".

"There's no need," he replied without stopping his chores "Young Max has taken to protect us all".

Without a word, Max turned, clenching her fists and strode to the other side of the courtyard, as far away as possible from his shed.

 _As if it weren't enough the lack of answers, Samuel now appears speaking in riddles and adding more fuss._ _Young Max is fucking fed up._

That was a train of thought that wouldn't get her anywhere. All her arguments ended up in the same dead-end alley, _why me?_. The clever move was to focus on what she could actually control, such as what she intended to do next.

 _Let's get to it._

The phone hardly rang once before a slightly anxious voice answered on the other side of the line.

"Max, is everything okay?".

"Everything's fine, Dad".

"You've been texting us and keeping us up to date, but still I missed hearing your voice".

"I've been quite busy, I told you I'd eventually call".

"So...We've already talked about this, but the news from Arcadia Bay are not very encouraging. Are you sure you don't want to come back home? it's too late for us to drive down there, but we can send you money to get a plane or a train ticket, or..."

"I'm gonna be ok, I'll be out of the danger area".

"Yeah, sure, I mean, I trust you, of course, yet it's only natural that we..."

"You have my word, I´ll be safe. The Prescotts have set up a huge camp out of town, completely stocked and I would prefer to stay here in the Bay, I have several reasons for it".

"OK, then...I guess that wraps it up".

"Yes, seriously, don't worry, I have no intention of exposing myself to risk".

"Okay, Um... and how are you? how's it going out there apart from the storm and the double moon stuff?".

"Actually, Dad, I know you're at work, but you've got, like, 20 minutes for me?".

"Sure, give me a moment and I'll arrange it.

...

...

done, I'm all yours now".

"Okay... Um... see, there are a couple of things I want to talk to you about".

"Neither of us is exactly a chatterbox, still you know you can talk to me whenever you want".

"Yeah, I know...".

"Max, whatever it is, it's gonna be okay".

"Right, Okay, so... remember when... when we watched so many movies at home back in Seattle?".

"...".

"Dad?".

"Yes, I certainly remember. That was a very hard time for all of us, you have to understand that it broke our hearts to see how you..."

"I figured so much...I'm sorry".

"Excuse me?".

"I said I'm sorry, I never told you and well, that's it, I'm sorry".

"Nononono, Max, that's not it, you don't have to apologize, you're our kiddo. That was never about us, it was about you being okay".

"Anyway, I didn't make it easy for you".

"It doesn't matter anymore, it's in the past. All we care about is that you're alright".

"Well, I'm kinda already, this is just what I wanted to tell you about...you kept telling me that I had to came out of my shell, to live my life to the fullest".

"I told you a bunch of stuff, I just wanted to...".

"It's cool, I get it, The point is, these last few days I've found myself in a situation that forced me to take that step forward, get out of my comfort zone, be more daring, all those things you insisted I should do".

"And how it's turned out?".

"I guess as you might expect. Some stuff worked out really well, some of it didn't, but that's life, isn't it? we can't expect everything to turn out perfectly. After all, the main issue is that I feel like I've done what I had to do, what I should have done a long time ago".

"That's... that's great, seriously, I'm very happy for you".

"So... there is this other thing that I want you and mom to know about, it really has a lot to do with what I just told you...I'm in a relationship".

"Oh...

...

...

"Dad, you still there?".

"Yeah, I'm here, sorry. It's just that..."

"Is it so hard for you to believe? I don't know if I should be offended".

"No, I mean yes, no...Ok, let's see. Of course, I didn't mean to offend you, but it's somehow unexpected. In all these years you haven't shown the slightest interest in any guy, your mother asked you almost every week if you'd met anyone in Arcadia Bay and now suddenly you tell me you're in a relationship. Not dating someone but in a relationship and it really can't be like that, because assuming you haven't lied to us it's a very recent development. So yeah, I guess I'm a little surprised and above all, to hear you calling it a _relationship._ That said, what kind of guy wouldn't want to date you?".

"Come on, I'm kind of average, shy and a little nerdy. I'm not exactly what you'd call a catch".

"That's bullshit, you're amazing, and if someone can't see it, they straight don't deserve you".

"You're my father, you're not going to tell me otherwise".

"No, forget that, you're a really awesome girl. Besides, you have the Caulfields charm in you, right from your father".

"HA!, now I know you're messing with me. You only dated Mom, and she told me that you were a complete nerd when she met you. You're right about one thing though, I have the Caulfields charm, only maybe it's not what you think it is".

"We're not talking about me, so let's focus on the issue, what should I know about that boy who managed to steal my Maxine?".

"Girl".

"Uh?".

"It's a girl. My relationship is with a girl, and yes, I'm very deliberately using the word relationship".

...

...

...

"Dad, you're not gonna say anything? you don't approve?".

"Errr...Of course, I approve. You are my daughter I'm gonna love you and support you no matter what, It's just... Hell, you're knocking me out here. Now I understand that you weren't interested in any boys but we didn't notice you liked girls either".

"That's because it´s not that easy".

"Um... now I'm certainly lost".

"I guess it's complicated, it's hard for me to totally understand myself. I reckon that to put it in an easy way, until I found the right person I didn't figure out stuff about me and the trick is that I found that someone really soon but it took me a while to realize that she was that person, or at least in that concrete sense".

"You call that put it in an easy way?".

"Sorry, you're right. Look I'll tell you in a way you'll understand it right away. My girlfriend is Chloe".

"Chloe?... You mean as in Bill's daughter Chloe? Your other half?".

"You said it yourself, my other half. Like I mentioned, I found the right person soon enough".

"Wait, wait, wait... Maxine, all these years... your...you know... how you felt this whole time, it was about...?".

"Yes, I never had the courage to face it".

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck".

"DAD!, language".

"I'm sorry. Forget about it now, Maxine, you have to understand that when we moved...".

"It doesn't matter, I understand".

"NO!, you need to hear this and I need to tell you. Your mother and I, we've felt very guilty about this. Moving to Seattle was a tough call, we knew that you and Chloe were going to resent it, but we thought you would keep in touch, visiting on vacation and with time either you would grow apart or you'd adjust to the situation...We never expected you to react that way, and we never really understood why you didn't want to call Chloe. Moving to Seattle was for financial reasons, we're in better economic terms now than we were in Arcadia, but we miscalculated how much it would affect you. I want you to know that these years your mother and I have regretted it. We needed the move, but maybe we would have done it in a different way... a couple of years later or I don't know, just different so you wouldn't suffer so much".

"You shouldn't blame yourselves. I know that we needed to move, everything would have been different if I hadn't chickened out from calling Chloe and telling her how much I missed her. The blame is on me, that' s something Chloe and I have already talked about, we've left it behind and you should do the same, maybe despite the suffering it has allowed me to be certain of what I feel and not taking anything for granted".

"Well, look who's the adult here, you've really come a long way".

"Yeah, having someone by your side who really matters does that to you".

"Wow, Max, you really are sure about the two of you together".

"I don't know... I guess that's the only thing I'm sure of".

"Uff...this is all too new for me, I've...gone from wondering when I should have _the talk_ with you to realizing I'm already late".

"Ha ha, right. Anyway, you can still have _the talk_ with Chloe... good luck with that".

"What do you mean?".

"You'll see".

"Okay, so... you and Chloe, it still feels awkward...I mean the right kind of awkward, like I didn't expect it".

"I know, Dad, don't worry. You've known my girlfriend for a lot of years, it's not like you have to walk on eggshells. In fact, you should thank me, I've spared you a lot of uncomfortable moments... you know, what to say, what to do. In the end, it is only Chloe and she was like family before".

"Not like, she was family before, I guess now even more".

"Yeah, she is".

"What's she like these days, we haven't seen her in a long time?".

"She's changed a lot. The first time I saw her, I didn't recognize her. Her hair is short and dyed blue, she has that punk style and a full-sleeve tattoo, not at all discreet, with skulls, ribbons and vines, that kind of stuff".

"Don't they give her any trouble at school because of it?".

"No, she is no longer studying, she was in Blackwell but she was expelled and dropped out of school".

"Oh, well, then what does she do for a living?".

"She doesn't have a job either".

"And what does she do all day?".

"These last few days, hang out with me, but before that, nothing really. She gets up late and roams around, she tries to get her mother to pay for her food and then she goes somewhere to smoke. Well, I think she's trying to quit, at least cigarettes, I guess she'll keep smoking weed".

"Umm...Maxine, you know you're not exactly selling the horse here".

"Seen from the outside, it may seem that way, I understand, but it's Chloe. All that crap doesn't matter, because it's her, she's the most loyal person I've ever met, she's an amazing person".

"Bill and Joyce were great people and I'm sure Chloe is, too".

"You can't even imagine. Before I came back, she was in a bad place, not unlike what happened to me, only she hadn't gotten over it yet. Actually part of what's going on is my fault. I'll help her through it. Together we'll do it".

"I can understand what you're saying... Maxine, I assume that your father is the last person you want to talk about your love life with. I really get it, myself, at your age, I wouldn't have wanted either and I don't want to be that kind of father, but there's something you need to hear. You can't build a relationship based on regret. If you love Chloe, go ahead, but please don't get into a relationship because you feel guilty about something you did in the past. It's not fair to you and it's not fair to Chloe either."

"It's funny, because Chloe told me exactly the same thing".

"And what did you answer her?".

"Oh wow, where did that whole not wanting to be that kind of father stuff go?".

"Shit, I...excuse me, I just...".

"Haha, it's okay don't worry, I see I'm upsetting you. Really, don't worry, it's all spoken between us, trust me, Chloe wants to put her life in order".

"I've always done it Maxine... so, when will we be seeing Chloe?".

"I can't tell you yet, soon I hope. All I can tell you is that we've spent enough time apart. Wherever we go, we go together".

"I'm thinking about a special Thanksgiving this year".

"What a coincidence, because I was just wondering about the same thing".

"The Caulfields charm?".

"Dad, drop it".

"Ok Ok Ok...so we're settled? You and Chloe are coming in for Thanksgiving.?

"Yeah, I'm going with my girlfriend to my parents' house for Thanksgiving".

"My girlfriend... sounds crazy, you'll see when I tell your mother, she'll bomb your phone".

"I can imagine. Dad, there's something else, it's silly, but it's important to me. Could you stock on beer for when we visit? It's for Chloe, but not just any beer, something nice".

"You're asking me to encourage underage drinking? ".

"Oh, come on, it's not a big deal. She already drinks beer, like everybody else, but she always drinks the cheapest. Chloe doesn't need big things, she's not whimsical or anything like that but she's broke and I want ... I want to spoil her, it's not an expensive or over-complicated thing... it's as if she always drew the shortest straw in life and for once... this is a small gesture, maybe she doesn't even care about it, but it matters to me, so, please...?".

"I will, don't worry and of course I'll be giving her a sample of Ryan´s number 7 last batch".

"Please, not that one".

"Max?".

"Mom says number 7 tastes like rat piss and the previous ones weren't better".

"She doesn't say that".

"Look, I don't know a thing about beer, but mom says you're gonna have to order bigger labels because by the time you make a good beer the numbers won't fit in".

"Your mother said that?".

"She loves you, you know that".

"And I love her, but this calls for a grown-up conversation, piss rat... I can't believe it".

"Don't tell her, anyway, we have half a garage worth of beer that you don't drink yourself, it makes you wonder".

"We'll see about that, but know that you hurt me".

"I gotta go, Dad. Chloe's waiting for me. We're leaving town for the day".

"Hey, just one more thing, use your powers wisely".

"My... my powers, how do you...?".

"You have the greatest power there is. Youth. You and Chloe have your whole lives ahead of you. Young and in love, there's nothing more powerful than that. Enjoy life, the obligations will arrive before you know it, and you will find yourself having to do things against your will, such as moving to another city even if you are going to upset your little daughter".

"Right..., I have powers"

"Sure you do kiddo, you two take care of yourselves".

Max hung up the phone, satisfied and walked back to the dorms, before entering, she looked up. The sky was completely covered and the wind began to blow slightly stronger, loaded with rain.

The storm was coming.


	23. The Leopard

Standing, looking at a deserted Arcadia Bay from the lighthouse cliff, Max was far from satisfied. No one could even ensure that her vacant gaze was really focusing on the town lying at her feet.

In this same place, a week before, almost an entire life before, everything had changed.

And yet, once again, there she was, lost in thought, drifting around a decision that never was so and the guilt that it entailed.

"I'm safe, I'm here with you".

For a single second, Max was tempted to hide the truth from her, offer her an evasive answer and spare her the concern. Not anymore, not even to protect her. She loved Chloe for who she was and she had to learn to let Chloe also love her for who she was. With her imperfections, doubts, and insecurities, as she had always loved her since they met.

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm ruining the moment but I don't know how I could even consider letting you die, I'm ashamed of myself".

"It was my choice".

Max turned again, her gaze towards the town beneath her, consciously apart from her partner. "All my life, in one way or another, I've wished to be with you. You really believe it was your choice? I guess that would be a good excuse, just as it would be that we're saving Arcadia Bay this way, no matter how many arguments you can provide me I'm gonna be disappointed in myself".

"You can beat yourself up as much as you want, but all the choices you've made, right or wrong, have led us to this place. I love you with all my being, I've always loved you and yet we couldn't have shared a future together, not with a dead town on our backs".

There she was. Chloe, as the protective figure that she had always been. The utter mess of a person that had always offered Max the confidence she lacked by herself.

"This needed to happen. Whatever brought us here, fate or, if you ask me, you...this was the only way".

The most valid argument. Apparently so simple and at the same time dragging repercussions that transcended the two girls, affecting the lives of thousands of people. People who were going to live because Max had saved them, and also because Chloe was willing to offer her life for them.

Or rather, the other way around.

Chloe was willing to offer her life for them so Max was going to save them because in no known universe was Chloe going to die if Max could prevent it.

The rain had begun to fall, but this time they were prepared, they were no longer the two soaked and battered girls of the previous week.

"We've won," Chloe stated as she stepped forward and melted into a hug "we've won".

"We did," Max said sinking her head in Chloe's collarbone. "It's real... fuck the storm, we won".

Max remembered a thought from the previous week, one that involved staying forever in a moment, and on second thought, it didn't matter that it couldn't be considered a moment anymore. If that's what it took, she'd create a new word herself. One of those in German with fifty-four consonants and five vowels and a super-specific meaning **(1)**. Hers would mean staying for an indeterminate time hugging her beloved one knowing that both of them know and accept each other for who they truly are.

In fact, if necessary, Max would add three or four more vowels so that there would be no loss in translation.

Cheesy, yeah, but Max had earned it.

In spite of all it, moments are moments and before or after they come to an end.

This particular one ended naturally, when Chloe, with extreme delicacy, pulled Max away from her and pointed to the boxes scattered on the floor "We have to arrange all this".

"Right," Max replied with resignation, "before the serious business starts".

Half an hour later, with the lighthouse already prepped for the night, the two girls were sitting on the bench. Wearing waterproof jackets and sharing a thermal blanket thrown on their backs, they were adequately shielded to withstand the elements for as long as possible. Although it wasn't nighttime yet, it was already dark, and the Prescotts' camp (as it was called by the media) stood out in the distance, lighted up like a Christmas tree.

As a Prescott, Kristine could be accused of many things. Of not giving it all in this project, certainly not. The camp could easily have accommodated the entire population of Arcadia Bay, no big luxuries, but no cramped spaces either. Buses, trucks, ambulances and even choppers had been rented in record-breaking time and each and every one who chose to weather the storm in the camp was offered free food and lodging.

Without losing sight of the horizon, the two girls were busy making last-minute checks on their friends and family.

"Mom wants to talk to you".

Max looked up from her phone and sent a quick reassuring text to Alyssa closing their chat "Sure".

"I'll put you through to your favorite daughter," Chloe said in a mocking tone as she handed the phone to Max.

"How are you doing, Joyce?".

"I've been called a lot of things in this life, some not overly nice, but _Max's girlfriend's mother_ is something I never thought I'd hear".

"Oh...who?". **  
**

"Kristine Prescott herself. I was helping out in the camp kitchen, you know, better busy than worried, when she approached me. She asked me if I was Max's girlfriend's mother and then she asked me to take a break. She took me to a quiet table and we had coffee and chatted for a while".

"That's kind of weird".

"I didn't quite know how to handle it either, in the end, she's a Prescott and we all know they never move a finger if there's no profit for them".

"I believe she's not like that," Max interrupted. "She left home precisely because of that and enlisted in the peace corps. She could be living large in any corner of the globe, instead, she was in the Brazilian jungle, swarmed with mosquitoes and all kinds of disgusting bugs, helping others".

"I see how you think...anyway, apparently she'd been doing some digging on you and I guess that led to Chloe and eventually to me. I was already in the camp, I suppose it was only logical that having me at hand, in between some chores, she would come to see me".

"I still don't understand what she needed from you".

"You see, it's not like she needed anything from me, but in the end, it turns out she did have some kind of interest".

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I thought she was...".

"I didn't say it was bad. She told me about this weird message she had received _on Monday_ and how it directed her to you, she also told me about meeting you and your _girlfriend_ and how you suggested this whole plan to her. It's pretty stupid to ask so I'm going to assume that this was your plan from the beginning".

"Yes," Max said shyly.

"I understand that there are certain issues you don't want to share, still all the stuff happening around you it's tough to hide no matter how hard you try to go unnoticed. As I told you, Kristine checked on you, apparently, very few people know you, but those who do, have spoken highly of you. Even someone whose opinion Kristine trusted spoke especially highly of you".

"Who?".

"She wouldn't tell me, I didn't ask either, I don't think she'd want the conversation to be about that. At the end of the day, it's all about a young, idealistic person with a lot of money and a massive guilt syndrome".

"And how does that have anything to do with us?".

"Well, I don't know if you are aware that everything that bears the surname Prescott belongs to her now, the good and the bad. A bureaucratic and judicial nightmare awaits her, but there's no doubt she's clean. Her idea is to save as much as she can of the family empire and devoting much of her resources to Arcadia Bay. She doesn't want to limit herself to this evacuation, she wants the foundation to serve the purpose it should always have served. Get involved in the town's reconstruction and even afterward, remain active to boost the town's growth. She has no infrastructure and her contacts are those of her family, not hers. She wants to start building her own team, and she was looking for, what did she call me? A familiar face".

"Oh".

"She knew me, that is, she didn't remember me very well, but she had heard of Joyce from the Two Whales, this is a very small town after all. She asked me about my financial situation and asked me a lot about you and Chloe too. Long story short, I think she wants to kill two birds with one stone. She wants someone with her who is used to dealing with people and is well known in town and at the same time, from what I've seen, Kristine was very impressed with you. The fact that you and I... we are like, you know...".

"Not like. We're family. We were before and now with Chloe and me happening, we are even more".

"Yes, I feel the same way".

"She offered you a job?"Max said quickly changing the subject, despite considering her a second mother, Joyce was an adult and she was little more than a shy teenager (with superpowers and all that, but shyness isn't something that heals overnight) "What about the Two Whales?".

"Max, when I started working there I always thought it was just a temporary job. Then came Chloe, it was never the right time to renounce to that income, much less after Bill's accident. Look, I've buried the best years of my life in endless shifts there, just to barely make ends meet, years that I should have been by my daughter's side...I'm ready to leave the Two Whales behind. I won't be the one shedding a tear if the storm tears it out from the very foundations".

"I...I understand, Joyce".

"I have to go now, take care of my baby girl".

"Always".

Max returned the phone with an expectant gesture.

"Well?" Chloe asked in a relaxed tone, a long way from the passive-aggressive attitude of the beginning of the week.

The beginning of the two weeks, that is. Really, this time travel stuff is so complicated to grasp.

"Kristine has offered her a job, she wants to quit Two Whales. It'll be kinda weird not seeing her around anymore".

"Fucking yes, everyone liked to go and have her there... everyone except her daughter who was left alone at home".

Joyce was the friendly face of the Two Whales, warm, accommodating, tough when she had to be. She was the one who made the difference between another diner and a homey place. And it certainly came at a price, because in these stories there's always someone who loses out ...and sometimes it's the person who deserved it the least. Going to the two Whales, knowing that almost certainly Joyce would be there, again running a double shift, or even triple when the bills pilled up

Few people thought about Joyce, and certainly, no one thought about her daughter.

"Never again". Max said.

Chloe snorted "yeah, you won't leave me".

The way Chloe expressed it, containing the emotional burden, Max couldn't determine if it was a question, an affirmation or a desire. Not that it mattered, because the answer was the same in any case.

Chloe knew.

They both knew.

So with a gentle smile and a _let's hurry before rain starts pouring hard,_ they focused back on their phones.

Max was already ending her conversation with Dana and Juliet when a call jumped over the text chat. A call she'd been waiting for a while.

"Kristine" she replied immediately with an anxious voice.

"Max, are you in a safe place?".

"Yes, I told you you didn't have to worry about me".

"Still, you should come to the camp. I don't like it when you two are alone God knows where".

"Thank you for the offer, but as I said we'll be fine, we'll take care of each other".

"That I don't doubt for a second. Either way, I guess you've already made your choice and there's not much else I can do about it...so, I guess you were expecting my call?".

"I did".

"Evacuation has been a success".

"Everyone?".

"I'm afraid not everyone. There is a very religious family, the Smiths. They have refused to leave town, something about not predicting God's will and there is also an older man, Mr. Johnson, he simply says he's too old and he doesn't care what happens to him".

"Nonono, that can't be, how can you call that a success?. We have to save them all". Max was facing a new situation, something that escaped her planning. The whole operation had depended on Kristine's money and experience, and she had fulfilled her part to the utmost perfection, but Max needed more. She needed a future with Chloe. A fresh start, without burdens, without guilt. It would be tremendously unfair to push Kristine harder, so there was no choice but to do it herself,

"Tell me where they live, I'll go and get them out of their houses myself".

"You can't do that, Max, it's too late and it's too dangerous. We've done the best we can, I give you my word. You can't convince someone who's persuaded otherwise. I've seen it many times, all you can do is expose the facts and let people draw their own conclusions. If you try to impose an idea it only backfires".

"I have to do this, tell me where they live. I have to go, I have to save them all".

"It's their decision, not ours, please don't go".

"Wait".

And Max did. Because this time it wasn't Kristine who was begging her loudly on the phone, it was Chloe, gently pulling her sleeve asking her to calm down.

"Max, what's going on?" she asked quietly.

"There's ...there's a family that refuses to leave, the Smiths and then there's Mr. Johnson... I have to go and save them."

"Don't." Chloe's reply was gentle and at the same time extremely blunt.

"But..."

Chloe gestured to the phone, Kristine was still on the other side.

"One sec., ... I'm, um... talking to Chloe, can you hold on a minute, please?".

"Sure".

"I don't want you to go," Chloe said staring straight at Max, "I don't want you to risk yourself, it's too late and I'm sure they've done everything they can to help them".

"Chloe...".

"We're just two seniors, for fuck's sake, I'm not even that, just a fucking dropout, we've done a hella lot more than could be expected of us. Look at all this shit around us, it sure beats any fucking Vortex club party by a million miles and you've done it, or us... whatever, the important part here is that we have achieved the impossible, we have to be proud of ourselves. At least I'm proud of you".

"What if we don't save everyone?".

The unspoken part of the question left no room for doubt, the fear that clutched Max was plain and concise.

"I can learn to live knowing that a couple of weirdos have died in the storm despite all the warnings, but I can't learn to live without you, I never could".

Max's heart shrank in pain. She had leaned over that chasm, a life without Chloe, and she knew perfectly well what she was implying, that immense void she felt before accepting that she could not let her die. Chloe was making another choice, and she was choosing her.

"Kristine?" Max said picking up the phone again without taking her eyes off her partner. " We're good, we did what we could. You... you did an amazing job".

"That's a wise move, you know? sometimes you can't save them all, Max, don't torment yourself".

"I know, I just wanted...".

"We all wanted to. The worst thing you can do is blame yourself, that is not your cross to bear".

It can't be stated that Max found comfort in Kristine's words, not even in Chloe's. Deep inside her, she knew that any casualty was something the two of them would carry over their head, no matter if it was due to plain stupidity and not their will. As Chloe rightly said, they'd have to learn to live with it.

"You're right, I will never thank you enough for what you've done. By the way," Max kept on, trying to move on to a less gloomy conversation. "Joyce told me you talked to her."

"Wow, news travels fast. She's a very interesting woman, everyone seems to know her, I'd love to have her by my side for this new project".

"She's great, I'm sure that everything will be fine with her".

"Right, I think so. One last thing, you and I have a conversation pending when this is all over".

"No problem," Max replied only to immediately adopt a defensive tone, "but I've already told you that I don't know anything about the messages or why we're in the middle of all this".

"I'm afraid I've already assumed that we'll never have answers to that question. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, I've made my inquiries, I've been surprised to learn that many people hold you in high esteem, some people, let's say, with influence and contacts have even come to speak about you in extremely good terms. I'm thinking about what will happen after the storm and this idea of helping Arcadia Bay, and not only the town, but also the people of Arcadia Bay...wherever they are".

"I'm really not following you".

"No need to, you just make it through the night safe and come and find me whenever you can".

"Okay, and again, thanks. This wouldn't have been possible without you".

"Something tells me I haven't been the most important piece of this puzzle".

Max ended the conversation without answering Kristine's last undisguised wager, there would be a time in the future to deal with her, or rather, to create a minimally palatable story. For the time being, there was another matter that claimed her attention, the whole of it.

With baited breath, she turned to Chloe to face what she considered a failure.

"Let it go".

Again, there was no margin for doubt or regret. Chloe had already said it, but hearing it one more time was the kind of moral reassurance she desperately needed.

"I just didn't want anything to come between us ... you know".

"I know. You showed me a... different side of life, that not everyone was against me. I can accept this".

"We're gonna be fine, then?".

"We're gonna be hella fine".

Like in the movies, very opportunely, a rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, giving way to a new scene. The two girls turned towards the sea, to witness how, in the distance, the funnel began to form. Still very narrow and distant, yet equally threatening.

"It's time to go inside," Chloe said, placing her arm over Max's shoulders.

"Wait a minute, I don't know if we'll have reception once the storm hits and there's someone I want to check on".

"Hurry up, Caulfield, I want to play this the safest way".

"Yeah, just a sec".

 **Max:** _Where are you?_

 **Victoria:** _I'm about to leave town._

 **Max:** _WTF, why are you not already out?_

 **Victoria:** _Relax, I had to take care of something before I left._

 **Max:** _What could be so important?_

 **Victoria:** _attch._

 _"What's this?"_ Max asked out loud as she opened the attachment Victoria had sent her. "Oh...look at this, Chloe," she said as she turned the phone so both of them could see the picture on the screen. It was Kate, giving the camera the peace sign. She was in a car, sitting in the front passenger seat, the photo was badly framed and slightly out of focus **(2)** but it was definitely Victoria's car.

 **Max:** _don't drive and text._

 **Victoria:** _Voice to text, have you ever heard of it?._

 **Max:** _What happened?_

 **Victoria:** _Kate wanted to confirm that everyone in her Church was safe and sound_

 **Max** : _and you've waited for her..._

 **Victoria:** _pffff._

 **Victoria:** _Of course she did, and not just that, s_ _he drove me all over town to check that everyone was gone._

 **Max** _:?  
_

 **Victoria:** _Voice to text, remember? that was Kate talking._

 **Max** : _Oh, you're so nice. I knew you had it in you._

 **Victoria:** _Fuck you._

 **Victoria:** _Language!._

 **Victoria:** _Hey, it's my car._

 **Victoria:** _Max doesn't deserve that, she was being nice to you._

 **Victoria:** _Ok, fine, whatever._

 **Victoria:** _I think you should apologize_.

 **Victoria:** _Excuse me? No way._

 **Victoria:** _Yes_ _way, Victoria._ _I'm sure if you look inside yourself you'll find that you want to apologize._

 **Victoria:** _I_ _nside myself?_

 **Victoria:** _Hey,_ e _yes on the road._

 **Victoria:** _Sorry._

 **Victoria:** _You see, it wasn't that hard, I bet you feel better now._

 **Victoria:** _That wasn't for Max, it was because of the bump in the road._

 **Victoria:** _Victoria!_

 **Max:** _Girls, sorry to interrupt your little... chat, but I'm still here and Chloe is having the time of her life with you two._ _I'm gonna go, I just wanted to know you guys were okay. you're gonna sleep at the camp?_ _  
_

 **Victoria:** _Yes._

 **Victoria:** _No._

 **Max:** _?_

 **Victoria:** _I booked a hotel with a spa somewhere halfway to Portland, we'll spend the night there._

 **Victoria:** _I don't know anything about that, and I don't really have the funds..._

 **Victoria:** _My treat, i_ _t was a surprise, you know, for everything that's been going on..._

 **Max:** _How cute._

 **Victoria:** _Max, don't go down that path._

 **Max:** _What path, I don't know what you're talking about._

 **Victoria:** _You know perfectly well what I'm talking about._

 **Max:** _I repeat, I don't know what you're talking about, but Chloe says that looks suspiciously like a date._

 **Victoria:** _a date? Oh my God...Victoria?._

 **Max:** _Well, the term Chloe used was over-priced set-up, and then she added "of course Chase would try something like that"._

 **Victoria:** _Listen very carefully you_ _idiots,_ _I like guys, not everyone is a dyke here, I'm just trying to be nice._

 **Victoria:** _Victoria!._

 **Victoria:** _She started it._

 **Victoria:** _And you've offended their sexual orientation._

 **Victoria:** _I've done what?_

 **Victoria:** _You know what you've done. You should apologize._

 **Victoria:** _Again?_

 **Victoria:** _We could agree that you have NOT apologized before._

 **Max:** _there is no need, we all like Victoria the way her bitchyself is. Just one more thing, Victoria, did you speak to Kristine Prescott about me?._

 **Victoria:** _Uh!. Now it's my turn to tell you that I don't know what you're talking about._

 **Max:** Y _eah,_ _I could imagine, thank you anyway. Stay safe_ _and best of luck with your date._

 **Victoria:** _FUCK YOU!_

 **Victoria:** _Victoria!._

...

Max stuffed the phone in her jacket with a malicious smile, "I wouldn't want to be in Victoria's shoes".

"They're gonna be fine, you've given them enough ammo for conversation. Do you think Victoria...?".

"Naaaah, I just like messing with her, she had it coming for so long".

"Have I ever mentioned how much I like bossy Max?" said Chloe as she opened the lighthouse door and directed her partner inside, "it's a real turn-on".

The interior of the lighthouse was arranged to spend a comfortable night. As arranged as 2000 dollars and a lot of commitment had made it possible. The corner the girls were occupying could even be described as homey. Foam mats, a double sleeping bag (this caused a few weird looks at the hardware store) thermal blankets and even a camping stove to heat the food they had brought.

"We are ready this time," Max said with satisfaction as she leaned over to stretch the sleeping bag. However, feeling something odd she froze, and by something odd I mean Chloe was grabbing her ass.

Here we are not talking about a pinch, Nah, this was a cheek handfull, a greedy grab with all its consequences.

"Uh...Chloe?..." Max spoke slowly, without turning around.

"Yeah, Max?" she replied in an absent voice.

"You're grabbing my ass".

"I Know".

After allowing a cautious amount of time waiting for an answer, Max gently insisted "Chloe?".

"I've wanted to do this for a long time".

"It seems like we've been together a long time, but actually it has only been two days".

"No".

"No?".

"I mean since I was 13 or so".

 _Oh shit, Chloe was talking about a whole different story._

"You were there. You were too young, but I already had these feelings, they weren't sexual or anything like that at first, but I wanted...I don't know, to hug you, to squeeze you against me".

"Why didn't you tell me back then?".

"You were younger, more childish...Nah, fuck it, that's a load of bullshit, I was afraid to creep you out. I always thought the right time would come and by the time you left, I was hopelessly in love with you... Now, this is happening and... it turns out I can just grab your ass, it just seems so unreal to me".

"My ass is real, and you can grab it whenever you want".

"It's... It's hard to describe, it feels like a totally different reality".

"I didn't know my ass came with enlightening powers".

"Uh? No, it's not your ass, it's...you're mine...and... nononono, don't get this wrong, I don't mean you're mine as in I own you, but I can... or... fuck it, I don't know how to explain it". She finally let go of Max, the latter turned around to meet a flustered and scared girl. That was the real Chloe, the one she tried so hard to hide from the rest of the world.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, you are a huge asshole".

"Uh?".

"We've always been meant for each other and we've both known it all along".

"I didn't know... I was so afraid of losing you".

"And I didn't want to spend a day without seeing your beautiful face".

"Beautiful?".

"I have always thought that you were the most beautiful person in the whole world, it took me a little time to understand what that really meant".

"Max..."

"Aaaand that is my beautiful Chloe blushing hard".

"I wish I...".

"Nope! no regrets allowed. It's here and now. We are in the place we have always wanted to be, sure the road hasn't been easy but all that matters is that we're together".

"That actually sounds like a hella great deal".

"We've got all night ahead of us, there's a lot I'd like to talk about".

"Talk?".

"Like for instance, how did you like flirty, teasing me? You can't remember, but last week you were the flirty one and I was..me, the real me".

Chloe felt secretly relieved. At that moment having gone through a week-long emotional rollercoaster she didn't want to engage in a deep, meaningful conversation and if it was about her favorite topic, Max and Chloe together, better yet.

"Just answer me one thing," Chloe asked with a cheeky grin, "Did you buy fancy toiletries for me?".

"A fuck ton of them" Max replied without any embarrassment. Straightforwardly and holding her partner's gaze "everything there was, shampoo, body wash, body lotion...did you know there is such a thing as shea-infused socks".

"I wonder how that works".

"Wonder no more" Max slightly lifted up her jeans, showing off her socks.

"Is that?...".

"We only have a double sleeping bag, serious cuddle time was on the menu, so I came prepared. I never felt quite enough suited for my Chloe, but I tried".

"I wanna know everything." Chloe bit her lower lip eagerly in anticipation "how you've always felt about me, what it was like to leave and your life in Seattle...I wanna know everything about my Maxi

"Only if you actually reciprocate, I don't wanna lose a single moment of your life".

"Hella sure".

Max took a quick look at her phone and began to take off her jacket "we have plenty of time, let's get comfortable".

The world could be a complex and sometimes evil place, but Max and Chloe had the capacity to reduce the world to a minimum, just the two of them. As they always wanted, build a fort and keep the world away, except the fort was a lighthouse. Two insecure young girls, each of them with their own fears but together they could overcome whatever problem destiny threw at them. The world could be crumbling around them, but inside the lighthouse, all they cared about was knowing more about each other.

As you can imagine, the night was long.

* * *

A buzzing sound resonated inside the lighthouse, amplified by the peculiar acoustics of the place. The first attempts to ignore it were quickly dismissed and the sleeping bag was removed to reveal a cluster of intertwined limbs.

"It's Kristine," Max said after regaining a minimal level of consciousness.

"What time is it?".

"Almost eight".

"Fuck, it's all over now." Chloe bolted upright from the mat rubbing her eyes "answer, now".

With one last nervous look at Chloe, she answered.

"Max, thank God, I was just about to hang up".

"Sorry about that, I couldn't find the phone".

"It's okay, so listen, I'm going to put you on speaker, I'm about to make an announcement in front of the whole camp and I wanted you to hear it first hand".

"Oh, OK, thank you".

Max pulled her ear a little off the phone so Chloe could hear. For a few moments, all that could be heard were background noises, footsteps, and distant murmurs, until a high-pitched noise gave pass to the confident voice of Kristine Prescott.

"Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here. First of all, I want to assure you that the Prescott Foundation's commitment to Arcadia Bay is real and does not end here. This morning, before sunrise we sent a couple of work teams to assess the damage. I'm not going to lie, the material damage is considerable, the whole waterfront has disappeared and the damage to the rest of the town is enormous, but do not worry because we are going to help and if you decide so, to lead the reconstruction of Arcadia Bay, so that it is a better town than it was, fairer, a town that is not in the hands of a privileged few. Together we're going to make it".

Shy applause was heard in the background, although it was hopeful news, Kristine was a Prescott, and too many of them had been subduing the city for years to magically place their trust in her. Everyone was aware of this circumstance, especially Kristine.

"I know I'm a Prescott, and I know what my family has meant to this city for generations. There is something I have learned in my years away from this town and my family, trust is not given, it is earned, so from now all you are going to get from me, are facts and not empty words... starting now, the camp will remain open, offering free food and lodging until the last housing problem is solved".

More applause and with more conviction were heard, Kristine certainly was a natural leader, all her brother could never have been.

"But this is not what I wanted to gather you here, because there is no better way to start something than with good news, and the news I bring is excellent. The primary objective of the two teams was not to check for damage. We have visited the Smiths' house and Mr. Johnson. They are all safe. They don't have electricity or water but we have left them with enough supplies that they have accepted, so we can safely claim that the storm has ended and the death toll is zero, I REPEAT, ZERO CASUALTIES".

This time a rumbling sound resonated through the phone a crowd clapping and screaming. They were going to be fine, Arcadia Bay was going to be fine.

Without a word, Chloe grabbed the phone and hung it up "Let's have a look at it," she added, holding Max's hand.

The sky was open, the air smelled clean, filled with that distinctive smell after a storm, only ten times stronger. From afar, the town below looked like a disassembled model, a half-built Lego full of scattered pieces.

Max contemplated the town, and despite the destruction she felt satisfied.

"I'm a bad person if I say it's beautiful? if I tell you I feel good watching all this?".

"You couldn't be a bad person even if you tried. There are no victims and Arcadia Bay will be a better place after this, that's what I see when I look down on the town".

"This week, all I tried to do was change everything so that nothing would change, nothing between you and me".

"All this is your work... and it's been a hella fine work".

Max turned back to the town in the distance with a blank stare. Something was going on in that tricky brain of hers.

"What's up, Max?".

"I know how eager you are to get out of Arcadia Bay, but I look down and see my hometown, people I care about, and in the end, we have our whole life ahead of us. In the long run, it won't matter if I graduate one semester later, this, however," Max said pointing out to Arcadia Bay, "this will matter because we only get one chance and if we don't do it, we'll regret it. This is where I was born, of course, I have bad memories regarding this place, but this is where we met and it will always be my hometown".

"What do you want to do?".

"To get involved in the reconstruction, to raise up my town again and do it with my own hands. Get dirty, and have all kinds of cuts and bruises from the hard work, because that's the right thing to do, and when things are up and running stay and graduate from Blackwell even if it's a semester later. I wouldn't feel right going back to Seattle or anywhere. Of course, we'd go together, that's out of the question, but I think my place is here...only it's not my choice anymore, whatever it is we have to decide together".

Chloe fixed her gaze on the horizon, thoughtful, reflecting on Max's words.

For years all she dreamed about was leaving Arcadia Bay, and now, being so close it seemed as if her dream was fading away again. She knew Max would follow whatever she decided without blinking.

Suddenly, without further explanation, she turned around and walked steadily towards the lighthouse,

"Where are you going?".

"Have you seen the mess down there? there's a fucking shitload of work, the sooner we get to it the sooner we can get out of this shit hole and go live our adventures".

"Wait," Max said, taking a couple of steps to reach Chloe, pulling her sleeve to stop her.

"What now?".

"Say it."

"Say what?"

"That you love Arcadia Bay, say it. I know you do".

Chloe looked up and down at Max unable to avoid a guilty smile.

"Pfff, whatever, and now hurry up slowpoke".

* * *

 **Author notes.**

 **(1)** _Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz_ means law for regulating the labeling of beef. Reflect upon it and and feel grammatically insignificant.

 **(2)** Max is Max, and although we see a more determined side of her in this fic, I'm trying hard to keep her in character. Of course, the first thing she was going to notice was the picture quality.

* * *

 **Some brief final notes.**

That's it, we've come to the end and I assume you're all asking yourselves the same question.

Where is the Leopard?

Some of you will be checking the index to see if you missed a chapter taking place in a remote African forest, but there isn't one. No claws, no dotted fur, no fangs.

So why the Leopard?

The answer, fellow readers lies within this same chapter and it's as close as a couple of clicks. If you find it, you might better understand what Max tried to do.

And to end this brief note, I announce to you that there will be an epilogue, a short story (2-3 chapters long) that will give (some) explanation to the whole Infinite Loop story.

This new story is called the Unexpected Goddess,

But everything in due time and now it's time to enjoy this story if you liked it because despite being placed in a bigger context, it is a self-concluding story and I hated what happened with chapter 16. So just to be clear. This is not a cliffhanger, I repeat, not a cliffhanger


End file.
